Lambasting the BJP and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for casting down Maharashtra by shifting big ticket projects out of the state, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray also said that Rs1,500 being given under the scheme such as Majhi Ladki Bahin is nothing but a way to buy votes
Addressing Sena workers in Thane on Saturday as a part of Bhagva Saptah (saffron week), Thackeray said, “These people are trying to purchase you and the state of Maharashtra by offering Rs1,500 under such schemes. Are you going to allow this?”
Flanked by MP Sanjay Raut and former MP Rajan Vichare, Thackeray called party workers his ‘wagh nakh’ and added that he is not afraid of “Abdali”. Recently, he had dubbed BJP leader Amit Shah as “Ahmed Shah Abdali’ after the Union home minister accused him of being the head of the ‘Aurangzeb fan club’.
Thackeray said his fight during the upcoming state assembly elections would be against Maharashtra-haters. “Do you want Mantralaya to remain in Mumbai or Ahmedabad? Do you want the state to be run from Ahmedabad?” asked Thackeray, evoking spontaneous response from his supporters. He added that a largesse of Rs1500 will not make any significant difference in a common woman’s life as this amount is too little.
He also alleged huge corruption in the Thane Municipal Corporation and said “contracts are given to the friends of the CM and the city is being allowed to become debt-ridden”.” After three months, we are going to expose this mayhem,” said the UBT chief.
He criticised the BJP for questioning his Hindutva. “We have to free Lord Ram from the BJP,” said Thackeray, alleging land parcels being purchased by developers in Mumbai, Thane and Ayodhya. Ram bhakts did not spill their blood to allow such developers to purchase land parcels, he said.
Clash with MNS
Before the meeting, MNS and Shiv Sena workers clashed at the venue with MNS workers allegedly throwing dung, bangles and coconut at their rivals. This was a repercussion of an incident in Beed wherein Shiv Sena (UBT) workers allegedly threw betel nuts (supari) at MNS chief Raj Thackeray a day ago.
When Uddhav Thackeray’s convoy reached Gadkari Rangayatan in Thane, MNS workers were ready for a clash. MNS general secretary Avinash Jadhav said, “Our chief Raj had said we will put an end to what you have started. We are just following the orders given by our leader.”
MNS supporters, including women, were also seen shouting slogans during clashes. The police intervened soon after some MNS workers tried to enter the auditorium, and took them into custody. Both Uddhav and Raj Thackeray didn’t comment on the clash.
