'People Made Uddhav Thackeray Get Out Of State Govt Two Year Ago': CM Shinde, DCM Fadnavis Hit Back At MVA Protest

After Uddhav Thackeray strongly criticised the state government, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis have responded, reversing Thackeray's "get out" comment directed at the state government. Shinde remarked that the people of Maharashtra had made Uddhav Thackeray "get out" of the government two years ago and had "made him sit at home." Moreover, Fadnavis questioned whether Thackeray would make the Congress apologize for "teaching people the wrong history of Shivaji Maharaj."

Political tensions in Maharashtra escalated after a statue of Shivaji Maharaj collapsed in Malvan. Opposition parties have seized the opportunity to criticize the ruling alliance. Shivaji Maharaj is revered in the state, and many political parties invoke his name in their campaigns. The opposition is using the issue to heat up the political atmosphere before the assembly elections, but the ruling alliance is trying to diffuse the situation. Uddhav Thackeray had earlier appealed to the people to oust the ruling parties, prompting responses from both CM Shinde and DCM Fadnavis.

Shinde, speaking at Nagpur airport, said, "The people of Maharashtra made Uddhav Thackeray get out of the government two years ago and made him sit at home. The people have shown him his place. Uddhav is taking the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj but acts like Afzal Khan. This is all he has done so far. Some people fought elections in the name of Shivaji Maharaj but behaved like Aurangzeb."

Calling the statue's collapse "unfortunate," Shinde added, "We also felt immense pain after the statue collapsed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologized to Shivaji Maharaj's followers and admirers. It is unfortunate to play politics for selfish gains. Rather, people should hit with chappals ('Jode maro') those who do politics in Shivaji's name. People are wise and will slap them with chappals in the election, especially those who are protesting 'Jode maro' today in Mumbai."

Shinde also criticized the opposition for trying to create hurdles in the Ladki Bahin scheme. "Now, opposition parties are plotting to ban the Ladki Bahin scheme, but the High Court has given justice to the sisters. I will not rest until I metaphorically hit with chappals those who tried to stop the Ladki Bahin scheme," said Shinde.

Additionally, DCM Devendra Fadnavis, while speaking to the media in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, responded to Uddhav Thackeray. "I want to ask Uddhav Thackeray: Will he make the Congress party apologize for what Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru wrote against Shivaji Maharaj in the book 'The Discovery of India?' Fadnavis further asked why Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray were silent when the Congress government demolished a statue of Shivaji Maharaj in Madhya Pradesh. Why do Uddhav and Pawar remain silent when the Congress party removed a statue of Shivaji Maharaj in Karnataka? These questions should be answered first."

Fadnavis also targeted the Congress party, asking, "Why did the Congress teach us wrongly that Shivaji Maharaj looted Surat city? Shivaji Maharaj never looted Surat; he reclaimed the treasury that was looted from Maharashtra. But the Congress taught us that Shivaji went to loot the common people of Surat. Will Uddhav and Pawar ask them to apologize?" asked Fadnavis.

Furthermore, BJP workers protested in various parts of the state against the MVA's "Jode Maro Andolan."