Mumbai, November 12: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray took a subtle yet sharp swipe at Shrikant Shinde, son of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, during a discussion at the FICCI Young Leaders Summit in Mumbai on Wednesday.
The session’s interviewer noted that the debate would have been “fire with fire” had Shrikant Shinde joined the panel alongside Thackeray, as both represent rival factions of the once-unified Shiv Sena. However, the younger Shinde did not attend the session.
Responding with a calm but pointed remark, Aaditya Thackeray said, “We build things. Let’s not compare thieves to us.”
The statement, though brief, drew immediate reactions from the audience and quickly gained traction on social media. Political observers interpreted Thackeray’s words as a direct jibe at the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, which has been at loggerheads with the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction since the party’s split in 2022.
The remark comes as the political temperature in Mumbai rises ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, expected to be announced soon. The civic polls, one of Maharashtra’s most significant political contests, will determine control over Asia’s richest municipal body, long considered the Thackeray family’s bastion.
While Aaditya Thackeray has sought to position himself as the face of a "clean and modern Mumbai," focusing on environmental reforms and urban renewal, the rival Shinde camp has accused his faction of corruption and neglect during its tenure.
Political analysts believe Thackeray’s latest remark reflects renewed confidence as he prepares to reclaim political ground in the city. His comment at the summit, though made in jest, underscores the widening rift between the two Sena camps and highlights how personal and public the rivalry has become in Maharashtra’s political theatre.
The session concluded with Thackeray steering the conversation toward development, sustainability, and governance in Mumbai - issues he continues to champion as central to his political narrative.
As the city gears up for a heated civic contest, his remark, “Let’s not compare thieves to us,” may well set the tone for an election season defined by sharp words and even sharper divides.
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