While thanking Raj Thackeray for crediting him in reuniting the two Thackeray cousins, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray delivered a 'rudali' (professional mourner) like speech at the joint rally.
“Balasaheb Thackeray must be blessing me. I was told it was supposed to be a victory rally, but it turned out to be a 'rudali' speech,” said the CM.
‘Rudali’ refers to female mourners who are hired to grieve publicly during funerals by upper-caste families in certain parts of North-West India.
“Despite ruling the BMC for 25 years, the Shiv Sena under Uddhav Thackeray failed to bring in development. But, under PM Narendra Modi's leadership, we have transformed the city. We gave Marathi people their rightful homes at BDD and Patra chawls, which made them jealous,” he said. The CM said he was proud to be Marathi and Hindu. “All Marathi and non-Marathi people are with us,” he added.
Minister Ashish Shelar, who also heads the BJP’s city unit, targeted the Thackeray cousins over the event.
“This was not a rally for the love of language but public appeasement of a brother once thrown out of the house. They remembered their brotherhood due to the fear of the BJP's strength in the civic polls,” Shelar said. “The event was more of a family reunion than a protest over a language issue,” Shelar said.
The Congress appeared skeptical of a potential political alliance between the two cousins.
“If the Thackerays want to celebrate the withdrawal of GRs, it's good,” Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief Harshwardhan Sapkal said.
“Celebrating the withdrawal of Hindi language GRs and a potential political alliance between the two cousins are two separate issues,” he said.
Sapkal claimed he had written letters to 600 people from various sections to unite in opposition to the GRs and organised a series of meetings involving educationists and Marathi language experts.
