Maha CM takes on Modi, Fadnavis, Raj Thackeray

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, in his first major public speech after over two years of the COVID-19 pandemic held at the huge MMRDA grounds in suburban Bandra on Saturday evening, hit out at the BJP nationaland state-level leadership, MNS Chief Raj Thackeray and other detractors.

Claiming that the Shiv Sena was the true torchbearer of Hindutva, CM Thackeray said, “It is true we were in alliance with the fake proponents of Hindutva, masquerading in a burqa that has been torn to shreds. Balasaheb always said that he did not want those who merely ran the temple bells, but those who would drive off terrorists. I repeat again what I said earlier. We were in an alliance that went rotten for our party over 25 years. We kicked out the donkey in our alliance before it could kick us.”

Launching at political detractors CM Thackeray cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent meeting with chief ministers of India on the pandemic and said that, while five select CMs were allowed to speak during the online interaction, the PM recommended an intended solution to curbing COVID-19. “The PM’s suggestion was for states to reduce the cess they levied upon petrol and petroleum products. It was strange, to say the least, since we are routinely being denied our fair share of the GST devolution, which is constantly delayed. Then there are plans for the bullet train as connectivity between Ahmedabad and Mumbai cities although no one from Maharashtra wants it. The effort is only to snatch Mumbai city away and no Shiv Sainik in whose veins the saffron blood has been transfused by Balasaheb Thackeray would stand for such plans.”

CM Thackeray also accused erstwhile BJP CM Devendra Fadnavis of having let the cat out of the bag at a recent public function held at the Jio Centre nearby, where he allegedly said that Mumbai city would get its freedom soon. “He inadvertently had a slip of the tongue and what was in his heart came out through his lips when he said so. If anybody tries to sever Mumbai city from Maharashtra, they will be broken up into pieces by the Marathi Manoos,” CM Thackeray said.

Thackeray further noted that the Union government was not even willing to speak on the indiscriminate killing of Kashmiri Pandits (Rahul Bhat) and was instead trying to peddle a fake narrative using its A, B and C teams to distract people using issues like the Aurangzeb tomb, Hanuman Chalisa and loudspeakers on mosques.

“The Union government should instead clear our Kanjurmarg (metro deport) file, and give us the Railway land at Dharavi for which we have already paid half the money sought. Modiji has given free foodgrains but the prices of gas cylinders and petrol have crossed the Rs100-barrier and people are unable to cook their meals any more,” the CM said.

He warned political detractors against attempting to target Maharasthra on pain of meeting with a fitting response in the typical style of the Shiv Sena.