Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 18 : Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday accused Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray of abandoning Hindutva and Balasaheb Thackeray's ideology.
Shinde alleged that Shiv Sena (UBT)'s invocation of Lord Ram was aimed at protecting the party's political interests, claiming it was not driven by devotion but by electoral compulsions.
Earlier today, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Thackeray, along with party workers, held a Ram Raksha Stotra recitation at Ram Mandir, Ram Nagar, in Nagpur. Party leaders Aaditya Thackeray and Sanjay Raut were also present.
Speaking to ANI, Maharashtra Dy CM said, "Those who called Ram bhakts (devotees) 'haramkhor' (scoundrels), who stated right inside the House, in the Assembly session, that engaging in the politics of Hindutva was a mistake on their part while serving as Chief Minister. And those who, in 2019, abandoned and renounced the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray and aligned themselves with people who used to level accusations against Balasaheb Thackeray... and who mocked Swatantryaveer Savarkar by calling him 'Maafi-veer' (apology-hero)... go and join hands with such people, abandoning Hindutva, forsaking Balasaheb Thackeray's ideology, and stabbing their alliance partner, the BJP, in the back, they had abandoned Hindutva back then itself."
"This Ram Raksha is being done to protect their own party, not for the sake of Ram. Now they've realised that 'those who do not belong to Ram are of no use to anyone.' That is when they started invoking Lord Ram's name," he further said.
When asked about Shiv Sena (UBT) extending an invitation to CM Fadnavis, Shinde questioned why the party have not invited its alliance partners, including Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav.
He accused the party of abandoning Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva ideology for power.
"...They really should have invited their alliance partners, Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav... Do they have a right to invoke the name of Lord Ram?... PM Modi actually built the Ram Mandir and revoked Article 370 in Kashmir... If Balasaheb Thackeray were alive today, he would have patted him on the back and honoured him. Yet, they are hurling abuses at him... What kind of politics is this? What kind of patriotism is this?... Driven by the greed for power, they abandoned Balasaheb Thackeray's ideals and gave up Hindutva. The people of Maharashtra are truly wise, and they have shown them their place in several elections," he further added.
Further, Shinde rejected allegations that six Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs joined his camp for money, asserting that they crossed over for development and accusing his opponents of making baseless claims instead of introspecting.
"...If I were to tell you that the six MPs who joined us did not do so for personal gain, you might dismiss it as a lie. Those making these allegations see nothing but money, because their mindset is one of taking, not giving. I can say with certainty that they did not join for personal self-interest. We will provide them with development funds. We even facilitated a meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah, and we will ensure that the departmental work relevant to their areas is completed. The narrative is always the same: if someone leaves, the claim is that they took money. When they are with that faction, they are considered good; when they leave, they are deemed bad... They need to introspect and self-examine," Shinde said.
Shinde said leaders joining the Shiv Sena were doing so out of trust in the party's leadership, asserting that his party was focused on serving people and was "not in the business of breaking parties or causing splits."
"...those joining us are doing so out of trust. Whether it concerns the MPs or the many others who have joined over the past 3-4 years, they have complete faith in the Shiv Sena, in me, and in our team; they know we honour our commitments and keep our word... We are not in the business of breaking parties or causing splits. We are unifiers. We have come here to ensure justice for the people of their constituencies and to fulfil their responsibilities toward the public. We will certainly extend our full support to them," he further said.
Earlier today, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla approved the merger of six Shiv Sena (UBT) rebel MPs with the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Shinde. This takes the Shiv Sena's strength to 13, reducing UBT Sena to three members in the Lok Sabha.