Mumbai: Uddhav Thackeray takes dig at BJP saying that some consider Mother India their property

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday slammed the Eknath Shinde camp for its claim of being a real Shiv Sena saying that the party is not an open object that anyone can pick and carry. Instead, Thackeray said Shiv Sena has its roots for the last 62 years and even before that his grandfather Prabodhankar Thackeray had sown these thoughts.

Thackeray, who in his virtual address on the occasion of the 62nd anniversary of Marmik weekly started by his father and the Shiv Sena supremo late Bal Thackeray, made his statement when both the faction led by him and the Shinde camp have been engaged in a legal battle.

Thackeray without naming Shinde led a blistering attack against him saying that the cabinet has been expanded but there was no portfolio allocation yet. ‘’There has been heavy rainfall at some places in the state. But where is the government of Maharashtra? They (the ministers) are being felicitated without doing anything. But due to heavy rains, the farmers are in distress. Where are the ministers to go there?’’ he asked.

Thackeray took a dig at the ministers without portfolios saying they are independent today while referring to the 75th year of independence (Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav). They have become ministers but without any responsibility.

‘’Har Ghar Tiranga is a program launched by the central government, but a cartoon is currently going viral which shows No home address, 75 years are completed for independence. Where will those who do not have a home put up the tricolour?’’ asked Thackeray. While targeting BJP, he said, ‘’Have we become patriotic just by hoisting the tricolour? Some consider Mother India as their property. It has been 75 years since the country got independence. But where exactly are we? How long will democracy survive in our country?’’ he asked. He added that every citizen should think about the survival of democracy.

Thackeray slammed the BJP national president JP Nadda’s recent statement that only BJP will survive while other parties will perish. ‘’The statement made by Nadda is harmful to democracy. However, Shiv Sena will not perish. Have they initiated a move to end the federal structure of India?’’ he asked.

Thackeray asserted the news about retrenchment in the armed forces was quite harmful. The strength of the armed forces should be huge. ‘’It is not heard that China and America have reduced their army for modernization. There is money to overthrow the governments but not for the armed forces,’’ he taunted.