News Analysis India

Tag: Bal Thackeray

  • Our rebellion was not ‘betrayal’, we are true inheritors of Bal Thackeray legacy: Maharashtra CM

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday asserted his rebellion was not an act of “betrayal”, but a “revolt” and asked Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray to kneel down at party founder Bal Thackeray’s memorial here and apologise for going against his ideals and aligning with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

    Addressing a mega rally at the Bandra Kurla Complex’s MMRDA ground on the occasion of Dussehra, Shinde said voters in the state elected the Shiv Sena and the BJP in the 2019 Assembly elections, but Thackeray “betrayed” people by joining hands with the Congress and the NCP to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

    He said massive crowds at his Dussehra rally was proof enough to show who are true inheritors of Bal Thackeray’s legacy.

    Slamming Thackeray, Shinde, who heads the rebel faction of the party, said the Shiv Sena was not a “private limited company” and maintained the 56-year-old outfit was built through hard work of common Sena workers.

    The chief minister stoutly defended his rebellion against Thackeray’s leadership in June that brought down the MVA government. Shinde asserted his rebellion was not an act of “betrayal” (gaddari), but a revolt (gadar).

    The Thackeray-led faction of the Shiv Sena has often targeted rebels as “traitors”.

    The rally was attended by Jaidev Thackeray, brother of Uddhav Thackeray, and his estranged wife Smita Thackeray.

    Nihar Thackeray, grandson of late Bal Thackeray, also attended the rally besides Champa Singh Thapa, a long-time personal aide of the Sena founder.

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday asserted his rebellion was not an act of “betrayal”, but a “revolt” and asked Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray to kneel down at party founder Bal Thackeray’s memorial here and apologise for going against his ideals and aligning with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

    Addressing a mega rally at the Bandra Kurla Complex’s MMRDA ground on the occasion of Dussehra, Shinde said voters in the state elected the Shiv Sena and the BJP in the 2019 Assembly elections, but Thackeray “betrayed” people by joining hands with the Congress and the NCP to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

    He said massive crowds at his Dussehra rally was proof enough to show who are true inheritors of Bal Thackeray’s legacy.

    Slamming Thackeray, Shinde, who heads the rebel faction of the party, said the Shiv Sena was not a “private limited company” and maintained the 56-year-old outfit was built through hard work of common Sena workers.

    The chief minister stoutly defended his rebellion against Thackeray’s leadership in June that brought down the MVA government. Shinde asserted his rebellion was not an act of “betrayal” (gaddari), but a revolt (gadar).

    The Thackeray-led faction of the Shiv Sena has often targeted rebels as “traitors”.

    The rally was attended by Jaidev Thackeray, brother of Uddhav Thackeray, and his estranged wife Smita Thackeray.

    Nihar Thackeray, grandson of late Bal Thackeray, also attended the rally besides Champa Singh Thapa, a long-time personal aide of the Sena founder.

  • BJP made Eknath Shinde Maharashtra CM to wrest Mumbai from Shiv Sena, claims Raut

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday alleged that the BJP has made Eknath Shinde the chief minister of Maharashtra to wrest Mumbai from the Shiv Sena of Bal Thackeray.

    Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, who stepped down as the chief minister on June 29 following a rebellion by Shinde, removed the latter from the post of ‘Shiv Sena leader’, accusing him of “indulging in anti-party activities”.

    Shinde on Thursday took oath as the chief minister, while BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as his deputy.

    Talking to reporters here, Raut said, “Uddhav Thackeray made it clear yesterday that Shinde doesn’t belong to Shiv Sena. It is now clear that Shinde has been used to defeat Shiv Sena in Mumbai, where civic polls will be held later this year.”

    Shiv Sena has ruled the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for over two decades.

    Raut further said that the Congress was split several times, but the Congress of Indira Gandhi still survives.

    “Similarly, Shiv Sena is where Thackeray is,” he said.

    The Sena MP said Fadnavis needs to be appreciated for taking up the deputy chief minister’s post as Shinde was a junior minister in his government earlier, and added that discipline is maintained and orders are obeyed in BJP.

    Raut, who appeared before the ED on Friday in connection with a money-laundering probe, said he told the central agency officials that he was ready to respond to any questions asked by them.

    “The ED grilled me for 10 hours. They treated me well. I told them if any more information is required, I would submit. There is no need to fear as I haven’t done anything wrong. Truth is with me,” he said.

    As member of Parliament, it was my duty to appear before the investigating agency if they require any information.

    I have no connection with the case they are investigating, he said.

    The ED had summoned the Rajya Sabha member for questioning in the money laundering probe linked to the re-development of a Mumbai ‘chawl’ (tenement) and related financial transactions involving his wife and friends.

  • ‘Victory of Bal Thackeray’s Hindutva’: Eknath Shinde on SC ruling on Maharashtra crisis

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde on Monday termed the relief by the Supreme Court to him and other dissident Sena lawmakers as the victory of Bal Thackeray’s Hindutva and the ideals of his mentor Anand Dighe.

    The Supreme Court has kept in abeyance the disqualification proceedings before the Deputy Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly till July 11 and sought responses to pleas by rebel MLAs questioning the legality of notices seeking their disqualification.

    The top court also refused to pass any interim order on the plea of the Maharashtra government that there should not be any floor test in the Assembly and said they can always approach it in case of illegality.

    “This is the victory of Hindu hridaysamrat Balasaheb’s Hindutva and the ideals of (the late) Dharamaveer Anand Dighe,” tweeted Shinde, who is camping with the dissident MLAs in Guwahati.

    In Thane, Shinde’s son and party MP Shrikant Shinde said Maharashtra Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal had sent the disqualification notice to his father and 15 other dissident legislators under pressure which is evident from the supreme court order.

    ““The speaker has rights in the Assembly. He has the power if anyone goes against the whip in the legislature. It does not apply to anyone not coming for any meeting. The ‘tughlaqi farman’ (the disqualification notice) was issued (by him) under pressure and the court has shown that today,” the Kalyan MP said.

    Shinde and a sizable number of MLAs rebelled against the leadership of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on June 21 and are currently in Guwahati in Assam.

    Their main demand is that the Sena withdraws from the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, which also comprises the Congress and NCP.

    Shinde moved the Supreme Court on Sunday against the disqualification notice issued by the deputy speaker to him and 15 other rebel legislators, calling the action “illegal and unconstitutional” and seeking a stay on it.

    The petition had sought directions to the deputy speaker to not take any action in the Disqualification Petition under Rule 6 of MLA Defection Rules pending before the Speaker of Maharashtra State Legislative Assembly and not take any action on the same until the resolution for removal of deputy speaker is decided.

    The Maharashtra legislature secretariat on Saturday issued “summons” to 16 rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, including Shinde, seeking written replies by the evening of June 27 to the complaints seeking their disqualification.

  • Rebelled against Sena’s support to those having links with Dawood; not afraid of death: Eknath Shinde 

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Launching a fresh attack on Shiv Sena leadership, dissident leader Eknath Shinde on Sunday wondered how could Bal Thackeray’s party support the people having a direct connection with Dawood Ibrahim who was responsible for killing innocent Mumbaikars by triggering bomb blasts.

    He said the banner of revolt was raised by him and other MLAs to protest against such support and he doesn’t care for his life in the bid to save Bal Thackeray’s Shiv Sena.

    ALSO READ: Rebel Shiv Sena MLA Eknath Shinde moves SC against disqualification notice 

    Shinde’s tweets on Sunday night are an apparent reference to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) minister Nawab Malik who is in jail in connection with a money laundering case allegedly involving relatives of Dawood Ibrahim.

    The tweets are also seen as a reply to Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut who had termed Shinde and other rebel MLAs “bodies without souls” which will be sent to the morgue.

    “How can Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray’s Shiv Sena support those who have a direct connection with Dawood who killed innocent Mumbaikars by carrying out Mumbai bomb blasts? We are taking this step to oppose this; Don’t care if this step leads us to the brink of death,” Shinde tweeted in Marathi.

    In another tweet, the senior Shiv Sena leader said they will consider themselves fortunate if they die while saving Shiv Sena and the ideology of Bal Thackeray.

    Shinde had tagged his tweets to Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut’s Twitter handle.

    Earlier in the day, Raut had termed Shinde and other rebel MLAs as “bodies without souls” which will be sent to the morgue.

    “We have learnt a lesson on whom to trust… These are the bodies whose souls have died. Their mind is dead ….40 bodies will come from Assam and will be sent directly to the morgue for postmortem,” Raut had said in an apparent reference to the number of MLAs camping in Guwahati with Shinde while addressing Sena cadres.

  • Bal Thackeray gave Maharashtra its first Brahmin CM, says Sanjay Raut on Raosaheb Danve’s remark

    By PTI

    PUNE: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday said it was party founder late Bal Thackeray who gave Maharashtra its first Brahmin chief minister in the form of Manohar Joshi.

    Addressing a political rally organised in Hadapsar area of the city, Raut said it was the late party supremo who put an end to the practice of namaz being offered on roads in Mumbai and Maharashtra.

    Raut was referring to the statement made by Union minister Raosaheb Danve during a rally organised by the Brahmin community in Jalna on Tuesday night, wherein he said he wishes to see a Brahmin community member as the chief minister of Maharashtra.

    “I read a statement of (BJP leader) Raosaheb Danve that he wants to see a Brahmin chief minister in Maharashtra. Why are you dividing the state into castes and classes? The state belongs to the bahujan samaj (masses)…the state belongs to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, to Shahu-Phule-Ambedkar and to Balasaheb Thackeray who united the Marathi manoos,” Raut said.

    If you want a Brahmin CM, let the people of the state decide and it is only Shiv Sena that will decide who will become the state’s CM, he said.

    “And who are you telling this to…it was Balasaheb who gave Maharashtra its first Brahmin CM in the form of Manohar Joshi (in 1995). When people asked why a Brahmin CM is there in a state like Maharashtra, he said caste is not important, the work is important, and loyalty is important,” the Sena MP said.

    He added that the state even had a Muslim CM – barrister Abdul Rahman Antulay – who was accepted by Bal Thackeray.

    “In fact, Antulay was the dearest CM of Balasaheb. When Shiv Sena was coming to the power, Balasaheb was once asked what kind of CM he wants. He had said he wanted CM like Antulay, who could take the decision instantly and who has a good command over the administration,” Raut said.

    Without taking the name of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, who has demanded removal of loudspeakers from mosques, Raut said that politics is going on over the issue of loudspeakers and some old clips of Bal Thackeray expressing his views on loudspeakers atop mosques are being shared.

    “Those people who back-stabbed him are now telling us about his thoughts and ideology,” he added.

    Raut added that Bal Thackeray used to say in his speeches that the moment he gets the power in the state, he will stop namaz from being offered on roads.

    “These people have forgotten that today namaz is not offered on roads in Mumbai and Maharashtra. After the Shiv Sena came to power, Balasaheb had called a meeting of Muslim clerics and told them about his promise given to the people of Mumbai and asked them to stop the practice (of offering namaz on roads),” he said.

    The Sena MP added that the clerics agreed, but told him that in the absence of enough space inside the mosque, they have to offer the Friday namaz on roads.

    “Balsaheb then asked the clerics what can he do to help them. The clerics sought an increase in the space of mosques. Balasaheb immediately summoned CM Manohar Joshi and Deputy CM Gopinath Munde and sought to know how space inside mosques can be increased,” Raut said.

    “CM Joshi gave a solution that FSI of mosques needed to be increased. Balasaheb immediately asked him to increase the FSI and a decision was taken immediately. Due to this decision, the space inside mosques went up and practice of offering namaz on roads stopped,” he added.

  • MNS chief shares Bal Thackeray’s old video, ups ante against mosque loudspeakers

    By ANI

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray seems undeterred despite being booked by the state police as he persists with his anti-loudspeaker campaign, as he on Wednesday shared a video of the Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray in which he is seen speaking against the use of loudspeakers and Muslims offering prayers on the roads.

    Raj Thackeray had recently posed in Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray’s trademark attire in a social media post. Raj Thackeray is incidentally attempting an image makeover to revive his political fortunes in the state by embarking on hard Hindutva.

    ALSO READ | Loudspeaker row: MNS workers play Hanuman Chalisa near mosque in Mumbai, heavy security deployed

    In the video, shared by Raj Thackeray, Bal Thackeray is heard saying that the Shiv Sena will not rest until it is successful in preventing people from offering namaz on roads when it comes to power in the state.

    “We (Shiv Sena) will not stop until we are successful in preventing the people from offering namaz on roads when we will form the government in Maharashtra,” Bal Thackeray said in the video posted by the MNS chief on his Twitter handle today.

    “If someone has any complaint about the Hindu religion, then they can come to us, and we will solve the issue. Loudspeakers will be removed from the mosques,” Bal Thackeray said in the video shared by Raj Thackeray.

    The loudspeakers row started when the MNS chief on April 12 gave an ultimatum to the Maharashtra government to remove loudspeakers from mosques by May 3, failing which, he warned, MNS workers will play Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers.

    A case was filed against Raj Thackeray on Tuesday when he appealed to people to play Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers in the areas where loudspeakers are used for ‘Aazan’ from today.

    He also announced that he will hold more rallies in Marathwada, Vidarbha and other cities as well.

    Meanwhile, Mumbai Police seized loudspeakers from the MNS office and detained the party’s Chandivali unit chief Mahendra Bhanushali and others on Tuesday.

    Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday had ordered the police to take all measures to maintain law and order and not wait for anyone’s order. Uddhav Thackeray also held a telephonic conversation with the Maharashtra DGP Rajnish Seth. 

  • Balasaheb had backed Narendra Modi amid demand for his ouster as Gujarat CM after Godhra riots: Uddhav Thackeray

    Uddhav Thackeray said a demand was being raised to remove Modi as Gujarat CM when BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister of the country.

  • Sena fighting those who plan to divide India by causing riots in name of Hanuman Chalisa: Raut 

    Sanjay Raut made the comments a day after Union minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey took a potshot at the Uddhav Thackeray government over 'arresting people for reciting Hanuman Chalisa'.

  • BJP doesn’t hold Hindutva patent: Uddhav, says Bal Thackeray led saffron agenda

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said the BJP doesn’t hold “patent” on Hindutva and claimed that the late Sena supremo Bal Thackeray had showed BJP that the combination of “saffron and Hindutva” will help in achieving power in Centre.

    Thackeray also said Sena has always been committed to the “bhagva” (saffron) and Hindutva “unlike BJP which had different names like Bharatiya Jan Sangh and Jan Sangh which propagated different ideologies”.

    Joining virtually the campaign for Maha Vikas Aghadi’s (MVA) candidate Jayashree Jadhav, who belongs to Congress, for the April 12 bypoll from the Kolhapur North seat, Thackeray also blamed BJP for the defeat of the Shiv Sena nominee from the constituency in the 2019 polls despite the alliance between the two parties at that time.

    He wondered if BJP had had a hidden alliance with Congress in this constituency in the 2019 polls.

    “The BJP doesn’t have the patent for Hindutva. I wonder had Lord Ram not been born what issue the BJP would have raised in politics. Since BJP is bereft of issues it is talking about religion and (spreading) hatred,” Thackeray said.

    Thackeray said it was his father Bal Thackeray who had shown them (BJP) that saffron and Hindutva will lead them on the road to Delhi.

    Speaking on the Kolhapur North bypoll, Thackeray said that votes of Congress increased in the 2019 polls ((in Kolhapur North) compared to the 2014 elections which resulted in the defeat of Shiv Sena’s nominee despite the alliance with the BJP.

    “Where did the BJP’s votes go in 2019? Did you (BJP) have a hidden alliance with Congress at that time?” Thackeray asked.

    Thackeray also said that if the BJP claims to respect Bal Thackeray then why is that party opposing the proposal to name the upcoming Navi Mumbai international airport after the late Sena founder.

    “Why has the BJP gone back on its word and commitment given by (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah in Balasaheb’s room which I consider a temple,” Thackeray asked, in an apparent reference to his claim that BJP had promised the CM’s post to Sena in the 2019 polls.

    The issue of sharing the chief minister’s post after the state elections in 2019 led to the break up between the Sena and the BJP. The BJP and Shah had rejected Thackeray’s claims regarding the purported promise on the CM’s post.

    Thackeray, whose party heads the Maha Vikas Aghadi government which includes NCP and Congress, also said that the MVA alliance experiment is successful. “This is the reason that Sena didn’t stake the claim for the Kolhapur North seat,” he said.

    Thackeray said MVA partners discussed in a recent meeting if they are falling short. “We realised that it is not the governance and administration we are lacking but we are falling short in spreading lies,” he said in a dig at BJP.

    Thackeray said that votes of Congress increased in the 2019 polls (in Kolhapur North) compared to the 2014 elections which resulted in the defeat of Shiv Sena’s nominee despite the alliance with the BJP at that time.

    “The BJP had severed ties with Sena in the 2014 elections. In that election, the Sena candidate won 69,736 votes in the Kolhapur North assembly segment while the BJP secured 40,104 votes. Congress polled 47,315 votes.” For 2019 polls, Shiv Sena and BJP joined hands once again but the Sena nominee bagged 75,854 votes, a meagre rise of 5,000-6,000 votes.

    The Congress candidate secured 91,000 votes. “I want to ask where did BJP’s 40,000 votes go? Who will clarify if these votes were transferred to Congress? Shiv Sena plays its politics openly and is not a backstabber,” the Sena chief said.

    In the 2019 assembly elections, Congress candidate Chandrakant Jadhav defeated then Shiv Sena MLA Rajesh Kshirsagar to win the Kolhapur North segment.

    Jadhav’s death necessitated the April 12 byelection. MVA candidate Jayashree Jadhav, wife of the late Jadhav, will face BJP’s Satyajit Kadam in the upcoming bypoll.

    The contest is seen as the first direct face-off between Congress and BJP after the Sena decided to not stake a claim for the Kolhapur North constituency.

  • Our party not interested in clashing with Shiv Sena: BJP General Secretary CT Ravi

    By PTI

    THANE: BJP General Secretary CT Ravi has said his party was not interested in clashing with the Shiv Sena and maintained time has come to think if the Maharashtra-based political outfit has drifted away from its own thoughts and those of its founder Bal Thackeray.

    He said that the though BJP does not endorse Union minister Narayan Rane’s “slap” comments against Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, but the party stands with its leader. Ravi, who is in-charge of Maharashtra and two other states, was in Thane on Sunday for a party meeting and also to take stock of preparations for the forthcoming civic elections.

    Polls are slated for civic bodies of several big cities of the state, including Mumbai, Thane and Pune, next year. Talking to reporters after the meeting with BJP office-bearers, he said his party was not here to clash with the Shiv Sena, its former ally which has now joined hands with the Congress and the NCP.

    Ravi’s statement came in the backdrop of Rane’s arrest for his remarks against Thackeray last week and subsequent clashes between Shiv Sena and BJP workers in several parts of the state, including Mumbai. He said time has come to think if the Shiv Sena has drifted away from its own thoughts and those of its founder late Bal Thackeray.

    Ravi avoided any answer when asked about the possibility of the BJP and the Shiv Sena once again coming together. He said the BJP was only against those who have “anti-national” ideologies and the Shiv Sena does not fall in this category.