Shiv Sena (UBT) chairman Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday called the decision “dirty politics” and called on all political parties to be wary of a similar fate. Union Home Minister Amit Shah targeted Uddhav during a rally, saying he “surrendered” at the feet of NCP chief Sharad Pawar.
Earlier in the day, senior party leader Sanjay Raut it said that “deals worth Rs 2,000 crore” had been made to “buy” the party name Shiv Sena and its “bow and arrow” poll symbol. The BJP and Shinde’s camp reacted strongly to the allegations with Maharashtra lawmaker Sada Sarvankar questioning whether Sanjay Raut was the ‘cashier’.
Uddhav Thackeray: ‘BJP pushed me towards Congress’
Here’s a look at the War of Words…
Raut vs BJP-Team Shinde
Mocking the ruling BJP-Sena government in Maharashtra, Sanjay Raut said that a “deal of Rs 2000 crore” has been made so far to “buy” the Shiv Sena party name and its symbol
Claiming that the MLAs who defected were offered Rs 50 crore each, Raut said his claim was supported by evidence which he would soon reveal.
“I believe… Rs. 2,000 crore worth of deals and transactions have been made so far to get the election symbol and name… This is a preliminary figure and 100% true… Many things will be revealed soon . This has ever happened in the history of the country,” Raut tweeted in Hindi.
“2000 Crore Deal Behind Uddhav Thackeray Losing Shiv Sena Symbol”: Sanjay Raut
He also told reporters that a builder near the ruling pantry had shared this information with him.
Striking Raut’s “Rs 2,000 crore” charge, Shinde-led camp lawmaker Sarvankar dismissed the claim and asked, “Is Sanjay Raut a cashier?”
Maharashtra minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sudhir Mungantiwar also responded to Raut stating that such baseless comments were an attempt to smear independent institutions like the Supreme Court and Electoral Commission of India.
People will teach those who make such disrespecting comments to democracy a lesson, he said.
“I hope common sense prevails,” he added.
Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar said people making such comments had “passed out or gone insane”.
You threw a stone at a beehive, prepare to be stung – Uddhav Thackeray
Uddhav Thackeray vs Amit Shah
Earlier in the day, former CM Uddhav Thackeray of Maharashtra lashed out at his party’s former ally, the BJP, and warned other groups of a similar fate if they don’t remain cautious.
“What happened to Shiv Sena, how we were treated, can happen to you too. All sides should keep their eyes peeled and be cautious,” Thackeray said.
Targeting the BJP, he said, “You want my father’s face, but not his son. I was ready to come. If you leave me when I wanted to fulfill a promise I made to my father, what should I do?”
“I never wanted to be a prime minister, but Congress and the NCP asked me to take over because otherwise a government could not have been formed. If the BJP had honored its commitment, both Shiv Sena and the BJP would have had the their prime ministers for two and a half years each,” he said.
Some people from my party have defected. Anyone who wants to leave can go, but would have to merge with another party. However, they want to throw me out of the house and take control of it, he claimed she.
My father treated these people and Shiv Sainiks supported them. But now they want to become owners and our institutions are such that they have made a thief the owner of the house. What’s going on in the country, he asked.
But what happened is good because people are angry and realized what happened was wrong, Thackeray added.
Taunting Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Thackeray said, “‘Mogambo khush hua’ on the order of the Election Commission.”
Thackeray said the BJP pressed him to join Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) as it dishonored a pledge he made.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Amit Shah lashed out at Thackeray for “surrendering himself at the feet of (Nationalist Party Congress head) Sharad Pawar” to become prime minister.
Thackeray had broken his alliance with the BJP after the 2019 assembly poll results said the latter had reneged on its promise to share the post of chief minister with the Shiv Sena.
He collaborated with the NCP and the Congress and led the Maha Vikas Aghadi, until a rebellion Eknath Shinde he shot it down in June of last year.
“In 2019, the BJP and its allies won 42 out of 48 seats. This time, we should win all 48 seats,” Shah told his party employees.
Attacking Thackeray, Shah said, “Hinduhriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray’s Shiv Sena surrendered at the feet of Sharad Pawar. (Thackeray) contested the Assembly elections with us with the biggest cuts being that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi But after the results were published, he (Thackeray) surrendered at Pawar’s feet.”
Fadnavis makes fun of Uddhav
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also mocked Uddhav, joking that his party has been decimated in his two-and-a-half-year alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party and Congress.
“Uddhav Thackeray said that the Shiv Sena has rotted during its 25-year alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party, while it has been decimated in its two-and-a-half-year alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party and Congress,” said Fadnavis.
Speaking at a ‘Vijay Sankalp’ gathering in Kolhapur in the presence of Shah, he said the ‘traitors’ had been taught a lesson and shown their place six months ago, apparently a reference to the split in the Shiv Sena, which collapsed the Maha Vikas Aghadi government headed by Uddhav Thackeray.
Taking a jab at Thackeray, the deputy CM said: “Those who said they have rotted in the 25-year alliance with the BJP have now seen their party end in two and a half years after joining the NCP, Congress ( to form the Maha Vikas Aghdi publish the results of the 2019 Assembly poll). They were taken to the streets”.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar: ‘Will not get involved in Sena symbol row’
‘Won’t be involved in queuing’
Meanwhile, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said on Sunday that he had clarified his position on the Election Commission’s decision to recognize the faction led by Eknath Shinde as the real ‘Shiv Sena’ and the awarding of the ‘bow and arrow’ election symbol “, and will not get involved in the controversy about it.
Pawar said on Friday that the loss of “bow and arrow” will make no difference to the Shiv Sena faction led by Uddhav Thackeray as people will accept his new election symbol.
Asked by reporters about the matter on Sunday, the NCP chief, who was in Baramati city in Pune, said, “I don’t want to get involved in the controversy regarding the name and symbol given to Eknath Shinde. I have already clarified mine staying on the same two days ago.”
(With contributions from agencies)
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