Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 5 : Hitting out at Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena over their joint rally held in Mumbai on Saturday, Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar termed it as a "public appeasement" campaign for elections rather than an event organised for language.
For the first time in 20 years, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray shared the stage publicly. They came together over the alleged imposition of the Hindi language by the Maharashtra government in the state.
Ashish Shelar, in his 'X' post, took a jibe at Shiv Sena (UBT), stating, "Ubatha Sena" (a mocking term for Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena) has remembered "brotherhood" ahead of the BMC elections.
"This isn't about language... It's a public appeasement campaign for elections! With the municipal elections approaching, the panicked Ubatha Sena (a mocking term for Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena) has suddenly remembered "brotherhood", Ashish Shelar wrote in his 'X' post.
The Maharashtra minister said that the "so-called family get together" was just for the sake of "public appeasement" and there is no "love language" involved between them.
"Today's so-called family get-together in Worli was a public appeasement event for the very brother they once threw out of the house. There is no real love for language involved here... and they've never truly cared for it anyway!", Ashish Shelar's 'X' post said.
Shelar mentioned that Uddhav Thackeray is "desperate" to get back in power in BMC and his "handshake" with Raj Thackeray is "nothing but trying to win the family truce because they know they'll lose the election!"
"Today's so-called family get-together in Worli was a public appeasement event for the very brother they once threw out of the house. There is no real love for language involved here... and they've never truly cared for it anyway! This is nothing but a desperate scramble to regain power in the municipal corporation, so they can once again loot Mumbai. Mr. Uddhav Thackeray's handshake with Raj Thackeray is nothing but "Trying to win the family truce because they know they'll lose the election!" the 'X' post read.
Earlier today, while addressing the 'Awaz Marathicha' joint rally in Mumbai, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said that he has come to "stay together" with his brother Raj Thackeray.
"We have come together to stay together", Uddhav Thackeray said while addressing the gathering.
The former Maharashtra CM stated that ever since the announcement of this program, everyone was "eagerly" waiting for his and Raj Thackeray's speech. He hailed Raj Thackeray's vocal skills and stated that he has always delivered an "outstanding" speech, so there is no need for him to speak.
"Since we announced this program, everyone was eagerly waiting for our speech today, but in my view, we are both coming together, and this stage was more important than our speeches. Raj has already given a very outstanding speech, and I think there is no need for me to speak now", Uddhav Thackeray said.
Hitting out at the Centre and Maharashtra government, Uddhav Thackeray questioned what the government has done in its tenure of 11 years for Maharashtra and Mumbai, while referring to him being asked what the Shiv Sena (UBT) has done for Mumbai being in the BMC.
Uddhav alleged that the Centre has pushed Mumbai's important establishments to Gujarat, and these are all attempts to break the "backbone" of Maharashtra.
"They always ask us what we did for the Marathi people in Mumbai during our rule in BMC. They all forced Marathi people to go out of Mumbai, but now we are asking a question: in the last 11 years of your rule, what have you done? You have pushed away Mumbai's important establishments to Gujarat. Businesses are being transferred to Gujarat. Big offices are going to Gujarat. The diamond business has already shifted to Gujarat, so you have made all attempts to break the backbone of Maharashtra and continue to do that, and you are asking questions to us", Uddhav Thackeray said.
Earlier, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray launched a veiled attack on Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and said that the Chief Minister did what could not be possible for Balasaheb Thackeray, as he brought the two estranged brothers of the Thackeray family together.
Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray shared a hug at the Worli Dome in Mumbai as they held a joint rally after the Maharashtra government scrapped two Government Resolutions (GRs) to introduce Hindi as the third language.
The Thackeray brothers garlanded the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at a joint rally of their parties, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), at the Worli Dome in Mumbai.
Addressing the gathering, Raj Thackeray said, "I had said in one of my interviews that my Maharashtra is bigger than any politics and fight. Today, after 20 years, Uddhav and I have come together. What Balasaheb could not do, Devendra Fadnavis did it... The work of bringing both of us together."