Uddhav buried Hindutva ideology of Bal Thackeray for power: CM Eknath Shinde during Dussehra rally

Eknath Shinde, the chief minister of Maharashtra, unleashed a scathing attack on Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday, alleging that he abandoned Bal Thackeray's Hindutva principles in exchange for power and allied himself with the Congress and socialist entities.

Without mentioning Thackeray, Shinde said that by being dishonest with his ideological inheritance, he had backstabbed Bal Thackeray while addressing a massive crowd at the Shiv Sena's Dussehra event in Azad Maidan.

Shinde added that he wouldn't be shocked if the Shiv Sena-UBT joined up with the Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM and even "hugged terrorist organisations like Hamas, Hizbul Mujahideen, and Lashkar-e-Toiba for their egotistical goals and chair (power)".

"You have buried the Hindutva ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray by going with Congress and Samajwadis for power. Balasaheb had given 'Garv se kaho hum Hindu hai' slogan from 'Shivtirth' (Shivaji Park ground) but slogans like 'Garv se kaho hum Congressi and Samajwadi hai' are being given from that venue," Shinde remarked.

The Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena led staged a customary yearly Dussehra gathering on Shivaji Park ground in Dadar, which the party labels 'Shivtirth'.

Shinde claimed that the parties that had previously attacked the BJP by raising concerns about the schedule for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya are now embarrassed.

"They have lost their face. How will they go to Ayodhya now?" the Maharashtra CM  asked.

Shinde alleged that Uddhav Thackeray had aspired to become CM since 2004, but things did not work out.

"It was his (Uddhav's) wish to become the CM since 2004 but the 'jugaad' didn't work out. He pretended that he was never interested in the post. It was said publicly that he accepted the responsibility (after the 2019 assembly elections) on the advice of Sharad Pawar. But the fact is that two persons were sent to Pawar to recommend his (Uddhav's) name for the post," he added.

(With agency inputs)