Mumbai: Thousands of supporters of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde thronged MMRDA ground at Bandra Kurla Complex for his Dussehra rally.
One of them, physically challenged Bhagwan Shevade, 70, said Shinde is taking ahead Balasaheb Thackeray’s ideologies.
The rally was also attended by Balasaheb’s daughter-in-law Smita Thackeray, her son Nihar and Uddhav Thackeray’s brother Jaidev.
Smita Thackeray said, “I used to attend the rally at Shivaji Park, but stopped after Balasaheb passed away. I believe that Eknath Shinde is the person who will truly take ahead his thoughts. This is the second time that I have come forward in his support.”
The gathering, too, focused on how Uddhav Thackeray betrayed his own father’s thoughts. One such video clip screened at the venue showed Balasaheb saying he would never shake hands with the Congress party to form a government.
Before and after Shinde’s caustic attack against the Uddhav Thackeray faction, people gave him a standing ovation. He offered flowers to Balasaheb’s chair on the dais; the late leader sat in it when he had visited Thane.
Jaidev Thackeray said, “Eknath is my favourite. Now, he is the Chief Minister, so I will call him ‘Eknath Rao’. People asked me if I was going to join the Shinde faction. It’s not easy to frighten a Thackeray… Let’s dissolve the government and bring ‘Shinde Sarkar’ in Maharashtra. My blessings are always with him.”
Former corporator from Dahisar, Sheetal Mhatre, also attacked Uddhav Thackeray. She blamed the Shiv Sena for poor roads and infrastructure of Mumbai.
She also alleged that former mayor Kishori Pednekar indulged in corruption during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“How did patients’ meals go missing? We have been blamed for it, but we are ‘Khuddar, not Gaddar’.”
MP Rahul Shewale said it’s unfortunate that someone has to keep saying that his father has been stolen.
“We never steal anyone’s father,” he said, giving examples of other political parties where many MLAs parted their ways but no one has claimed that his father was stolen.
Shewale alleged that Aaditya Thackeray grew up on the ‘khoka’ (corruption) money of the BMC. “He should not blame others who left the party shouting ‘khoke’,” he said.
Shewale also alleged that Aaditya Thackeray was in Switzerland and London when his father underwent a surgery in Mumbai. “He spent time at a pub in Europe and should not shout ‘khoke’,” he said.
