News Analysis India

Tag: Uddhav 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.

  • Uddhav Thackeray’s brother Jaidev shares stage with Maha CM Shinde at Dussehra rally

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Jaidev Thackeray, the elder brother of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, on Wednesday evening shared the stage with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at the rebel faction’s Dussehra rally at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai.

    Jaidev Thackeray’s estranged wife Smita was also present at the MMRDA ground in BKC, the rally site in suburban Mumbai, along with Nihar, the son of late Bindumadhav Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray’s eldest brother.

    Champa Singh Thapa, a trusted aide of the late Bal Thackeray who served the Shiv Sena founder for 27 years, was also present at the event.

    Talking to reporters, Smita Thackeray said she was invited to the rally by Shinde, who heads the rebel faction of the Shiv Sena.

    Jaidev Thackeray, son of Bal Thackeray, said to share an uneasy relationship with his younger brother Uddhav Thackeray.

    The Uddhav Thackeray-led faction has organised its own Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai.

    Both Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray claim their faction is the “real” Shiv Sena.

    Shinde’s rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership had led to the collapse to the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in June.

    MUMBAI: Jaidev Thackeray, the elder brother of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, on Wednesday evening shared the stage with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at the rebel faction’s Dussehra rally at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai.

    Jaidev Thackeray’s estranged wife Smita was also present at the MMRDA ground in BKC, the rally site in suburban Mumbai, along with Nihar, the son of late Bindumadhav Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray’s eldest brother.

    Champa Singh Thapa, a trusted aide of the late Bal Thackeray who served the Shiv Sena founder for 27 years, was also present at the event.

    Talking to reporters, Smita Thackeray said she was invited to the rally by Shinde, who heads the rebel faction of the Shiv Sena.

    Jaidev Thackeray, son of Bal Thackeray, said to share an uneasy relationship with his younger brother Uddhav Thackeray.

    The Uddhav Thackeray-led faction has organised its own Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai.

    Both Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray claim their faction is the “real” Shiv Sena.

    Shinde’s rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership had led to the collapse to the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in June.

  • Five MLAs, two MPs from Uddhav group to join Shinde-led faction: Shiv Sena leader

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Shiv Sena Lok Sabha member Krupal Tumane on Wednesday claimed two MPs and five MLAs from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena faction will join the group headed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at the latter’s Dussehra rally in the evening.

    The two MPs could be from Mumbai and Marathwada region, Tumane, who is part of the Shinde group, told a news channel. “You will see in the evening,” he added.

    Those who believe in the Shinde faction’s ideology are themselves calling up and joining it, said Tumane, the MP from Ramtek in Maharashtra. At present, the Shinde faction comprises 40 MLAs, including the CM, and 12 Lok Sabha members.

    The Thackeray faction is left with 15 MLAs and six Lok Sabha members. Before the split in June this year, the Shiv Sena had 18 Lok Sabha members from Maharashtra and one from Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

    The rebel group led by Shinde will hold its Dussehra rally on Wednesday evening at the MMRDA ground at Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai.

    The Thackeray faction will hold its rally at the historic Shivaji Park in Dadar in central Mumbai, a venue associated with the Shiv Sena since its inception in 1966. Shinde and 39 other Sena legislators had rebelled against the party leadership in June, following which the Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government collapsed.

    On June 30, Shinde was sworn in as the CM along with BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis as his deputy.

    MUMBAI: Shiv Sena Lok Sabha member Krupal Tumane on Wednesday claimed two MPs and five MLAs from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena faction will join the group headed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at the latter’s Dussehra rally in the evening.

    The two MPs could be from Mumbai and Marathwada region, Tumane, who is part of the Shinde group, told a news channel. “You will see in the evening,” he added.

    Those who believe in the Shinde faction’s ideology are themselves calling up and joining it, said Tumane, the MP from Ramtek in Maharashtra. At present, the Shinde faction comprises 40 MLAs, including the CM, and 12 Lok Sabha members.

    The Thackeray faction is left with 15 MLAs and six Lok Sabha members. Before the split in June this year, the Shiv Sena had 18 Lok Sabha members from Maharashtra and one from Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

    The rebel group led by Shinde will hold its Dussehra rally on Wednesday evening at the MMRDA ground at Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai.

    The Thackeray faction will hold its rally at the historic Shivaji Park in Dadar in central Mumbai, a venue associated with the Shiv Sena since its inception in 1966. Shinde and 39 other Sena legislators had rebelled against the party leadership in June, following which the Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government collapsed.

    On June 30, Shinde was sworn in as the CM along with BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis as his deputy.

  • Vedanta-Foxconn row: Aaditya Thackeray blames Shinde govt, Sena rebels for loss of project

    By PTI

    PUNE: Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday lashed out at the Eknath Shinde-led state government for Vedanta-Foxconn’s decision to set up its semiconductor plant in Gujarat instead of Maharashtra.

    The project went out of Maharashtra after the Shinde-led rebel Shiv Sena MLAs toppled the Maha Vikas Aghadi government headed by Uddhav Thackeray, he said.

    The Shiv Sena and its youth wing Yuva Sena on Saturday organized a protest over the loss of the semiconductor project at Talegaon in Pune district, the site where it was supposed to come up.

    “Rebel legislators betrayed not just the party but even the state’s youth by enabling the Vedanta-Foxconn project to go out of the state,” Aaditya Thackeray said, addressing the protesters. The Shinde government wasn’t a ‘sarkar’ but a circus, he quipped.

    Even its industry minister didn’t know that the state had lost the Vedanta as well as a bulk drugs park project, he claimed.

    “After the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, the Vedanta project also went out of the state. Those who betrayed the Shiv Sena first went to Gujarat before going to Guwahati,” Aaditya said.

    Shinde, a senior Sena leader, and the MLAs who supported him had camped in Guwahati for around ten days after he rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray in June.

    “I don’t blame the Gujarat government or the Centre (for the loss of the project). It is this state government which allowed the project to slip out of Maharashtra,” Aaditya Thackeray further said.

    It had been almost finalized during a meeting at Davos in May this year that the project would be set up in Maharashtra, he claimed.

    “During this period, the 40 traitors were planning to rebel,” he said, adding that MVA government had offered subsidy of Rs 10,000 crore to Vedanta-Foxconn and Talegaon was a perfect site with good connectivity.

    PUNE: Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday lashed out at the Eknath Shinde-led state government for Vedanta-Foxconn’s decision to set up its semiconductor plant in Gujarat instead of Maharashtra.

    The project went out of Maharashtra after the Shinde-led rebel Shiv Sena MLAs toppled the Maha Vikas Aghadi government headed by Uddhav Thackeray, he said.

    The Shiv Sena and its youth wing Yuva Sena on Saturday organized a protest over the loss of the semiconductor project at Talegaon in Pune district, the site where it was supposed to come up.

    “Rebel legislators betrayed not just the party but even the state’s youth by enabling the Vedanta-Foxconn project to go out of the state,” Aaditya Thackeray said, addressing the protesters. The Shinde government wasn’t a ‘sarkar’ but a circus, he quipped.

    Even its industry minister didn’t know that the state had lost the Vedanta as well as a bulk drugs park project, he claimed.

    “After the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, the Vedanta project also went out of the state. Those who betrayed the Shiv Sena first went to Gujarat before going to Guwahati,” Aaditya said.

    Shinde, a senior Sena leader, and the MLAs who supported him had camped in Guwahati for around ten days after he rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray in June.

    “I don’t blame the Gujarat government or the Centre (for the loss of the project). It is this state government which allowed the project to slip out of Maharashtra,” Aaditya Thackeray further said.

    It had been almost finalized during a meeting at Davos in May this year that the project would be set up in Maharashtra, he claimed.

    “During this period, the 40 traitors were planning to rebel,” he said, adding that MVA government had offered subsidy of Rs 10,000 crore to Vedanta-Foxconn and Talegaon was a perfect site with good connectivity.

  • Dussehra rally: Shinde group gets BKC; Uddhav faction says easy for it to get nod for Shivaji Park

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena on Monday said it will be easier for them to get permission for the Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park after Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s camp got the nod for a rally in the BKC Complex on the “first-come-first-served” principle.

    Shiv Sena MP and spokesperson Arvind Sawant, a Thackeray loyalist, told PTI that the ‘first-come-first-served’ principle was applied while granting permission to the Shinde group to organise a rally in the MMRDA ground in the Bandra Kurla Complex, which is stone’s throw away from Thackeray’s private residence ‘Matoshree’.

    Talking to reporters later, Sawant also asserted that there can be no other option for the Thackeray faction than holding the annual rally at ‘Shivtirth, the term Shiv Sena uses for the Shivaji Park.

    When asked about the party’s strategy in the event it denied permission for Shivaji Park, Sawant said Sena will see what can be done after that.

    He said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is yet to deny them permission to hold the rally at Shivaji Park.

    Both the factions of Shiv Sena had staked a claim to hold their rallies at the iconic Shivaji Park, which is synonymous with the Shiv Sena.

    ALSO READ | Shinde cabinet to be expanded after Dussehra

    Both sides had alternately applied for permission to hold their rallies in the MMRDA ground in BKC on Dussehra next month.

    The Shinde faction has received a nod to hold a rally at the BKC.

    But, no decision has been taken by the BMC regarding the Shivaji Park ground.

    “Now, it will be easier for us (to get a nod for Shivaji Park). They (the Shinde group) got permission on a ‘first-come-first-served’ basis. So, the same principle applies to us as well for Shivaji Park,” Sawant added.

    Attacking the BJP, Sawant also alleged that the game plan of the party is to pit two factions of the Shiv Sena against each other.

    The Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park is a key event in Shiv Sena’s annual calendar.

    The gathering of Shivsainiks has been held annually since the inception of Shiv Sena.

    Shiv Sena chiefs – earlier Bal Thackeray and then his son Uddhav Thackeray – mostly spelt out the agenda and targeted rivals during the Dussehra rallies.

    This year’s rally assumes significance as both Uddhav Thackeray and CM Shinde claim their respective factions to be the original Shiv Sena.

    Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar backed the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction and said his group is the real Shiv Sena to hold the annual congregation at the Shivaji Park.

    “I have been seeing this for 30-40 years. When one says Shivaji Park, then it is the Shiv Sena, the one led by Balasaheb Thackeray. And that Shiv Sena is Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena. So, their demand for the Dussehra rally is not wrong,” Pawar told reporters.

    “(CM) Shinde also has the right to hold a Dussehra rally. They (the Shinde faction) had sought the BKC ground and got it. Once their problem is resolved, then there is no issue of opposing others. I am not saying they have not done it, but it is important to grant permission,” he said.

    The NCP and the Shiv Sena were alliance partners in the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by Uddhav Thackeray.

    MUMBAI: The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena on Monday said it will be easier for them to get permission for the Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park after Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s camp got the nod for a rally in the BKC Complex on the “first-come-first-served” principle.

    Shiv Sena MP and spokesperson Arvind Sawant, a Thackeray loyalist, told PTI that the ‘first-come-first-served’ principle was applied while granting permission to the Shinde group to organise a rally in the MMRDA ground in the Bandra Kurla Complex, which is stone’s throw away from Thackeray’s private residence ‘Matoshree’.

    Talking to reporters later, Sawant also asserted that there can be no other option for the Thackeray faction than holding the annual rally at ‘Shivtirth, the term Shiv Sena uses for the Shivaji Park.

    When asked about the party’s strategy in the event it denied permission for Shivaji Park, Sawant said Sena will see what can be done after that.

    He said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is yet to deny them permission to hold the rally at Shivaji Park.

    Both the factions of Shiv Sena had staked a claim to hold their rallies at the iconic Shivaji Park, which is synonymous with the Shiv Sena.

    ALSO READ | Shinde cabinet to be expanded after Dussehra

    Both sides had alternately applied for permission to hold their rallies in the MMRDA ground in BKC on Dussehra next month.

    The Shinde faction has received a nod to hold a rally at the BKC.

    But, no decision has been taken by the BMC regarding the Shivaji Park ground.

    “Now, it will be easier for us (to get a nod for Shivaji Park). They (the Shinde group) got permission on a ‘first-come-first-served’ basis. So, the same principle applies to us as well for Shivaji Park,” Sawant added.

    Attacking the BJP, Sawant also alleged that the game plan of the party is to pit two factions of the Shiv Sena against each other.

    The Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park is a key event in Shiv Sena’s annual calendar.

    The gathering of Shivsainiks has been held annually since the inception of Shiv Sena.

    Shiv Sena chiefs – earlier Bal Thackeray and then his son Uddhav Thackeray – mostly spelt out the agenda and targeted rivals during the Dussehra rallies.

    This year’s rally assumes significance as both Uddhav Thackeray and CM Shinde claim their respective factions to be the original Shiv Sena.

    Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar backed the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction and said his group is the real Shiv Sena to hold the annual congregation at the Shivaji Park.

    “I have been seeing this for 30-40 years. When one says Shivaji Park, then it is the Shiv Sena, the one led by Balasaheb Thackeray. And that Shiv Sena is Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena. So, their demand for the Dussehra rally is not wrong,” Pawar told reporters.

    “(CM) Shinde also has the right to hold a Dussehra rally. They (the Shinde faction) had sought the BKC ground and got it. Once their problem is resolved, then there is no issue of opposing others. I am not saying they have not done it, but it is important to grant permission,” he said.

    The NCP and the Shiv Sena were alliance partners in the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by Uddhav Thackeray.

  • BJP and Uddhav-led Shiv Sena target each other over photo, video with blasts convict Yakub Memon’s kin

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The BJP and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena on Saturday shared a picture and video of each other’s leaders with a `relative’ of 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Yakub Memon.

    BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar circulated a video claiming that it showed one Rauf Memon, Yakub’s relative, attending a meeting with Sena leader and former Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar.

    Uddhav Thackeray’s aide Harshal Pradhan hit back by sharing a photograph purportedly showing the same Rauf Memon with BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis and Chandrakant Patil.

    Earlier this week, the BJP had claimed that Yakub Memon’s grave was beautified when the coalition government led by Uddhav Thackeray was in power in Maharashtra, a charge rejected by the Shiv Sena.

    Yakub Memon, one of the Memon brothers who were prime conspirators of the 1993 serial blasts, was hanged in 2015 following his conviction.

    the Sena leaders maintained that the party and the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government had nothing to do with it and that it was being dragged into the issue unnecessarily.

    As the row erupted over the issue, Mumbai police swung into action on Thursday, removing the LED lights put around the grave of the terror convict, who was hanged at Nagpur jail in 2015 and buried at the Bada Qabrastan in south Mumbai.

    A DCP-level police officer will probe how the LED lights and marble tiles came to “adorn” the terror convict’s grave, an official said.

    With some Maharashtra BJP leaders targeting the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, the latter said the whole issue was an attempt to divert people’s attention from more important issues like inflation and unemployment.

    State BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said Thackeray should apologise to the people of Mumbai and Maharashtra for this “beautification” attempt of the grave of a person responsible for killing 250 people.

    A local BJP leader said Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi should also apologise over the issue.

    A police official said halogen lights were installed in the Bada Qabrastan on the occasion of Badi Raat (Shab-e-Barat) and have been removed by the Qabrastan trustees.

    Shab-e-Barat is a major celebration for the Muslim community is also known as the night of fortune and forgiveness.

    The marble tiles around Memon’s grave were put up three years ago, he said.

    There are 13 other graves at the place, he added.

    The Shiv Sena said the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led government had nothing to do with the beautification of the grave of Memon, who was hanged on July 30, 2015 for his role in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts.

    Shiv Sena MP from Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency, Arvind Sawant, told reporters that the Bada Qabrastan, where the grave is located, is a private property and the state government does not have anything to do with it.

    “Why drag the Shiv Sena into this issue? This is nothing but an attempt to divert people’s attention from serious issues facing the country. It is also an attempt to create communal tension in the society,” he alleged.

    Sawant sought to know why the body of Memon was handed over to his kin after he was hanged by the then BJP-led government at the Centre and state.

    “America gave Osama bin Laden a burial at sea. The body of 26/11 terror attacks convict Ajmal Kasab was also not handed over to his kin,” he pointed out.

    Asserting that his party had nothing to do with the issue and the controversy it is generating, Sawant demanded a probe into the beautification.

    Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray accused the BJP of trying to disrupt peace ahead of the civic polls in Mumbai by creating a controversy over the grave of Memon.

    Talking to reporters, Thackeray said the BJP should first reply why Memon’s body was allowed to be buried after execution in 2015.

    He said the Baba Qabrastan where Memon was buried is a private trust and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had no role in it.

    “Raking up this issue is a tactic to disrupt peace ahead of the civic polls,” the former state minister said.

    Meanwhile, talking to reporters in Pimpri Chinchwad near Pune, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Ajit Pawar claimed that the issue was being raked up to divert the attention of people from unemployment and inflation.

    Replying to a question over the controversy, Pawar said that such things about a ‘deshdrohi’ (traitor) should not happen in the country.

    Asked about the BJP holding the MVA government responsible for this beautification attempt of the grave, Pawar said, “For several years, BJP was with Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray and because of Shiv Sena that BJP could reach the rural areas.”

    “Be it any government, no one will want such things to happen during their tenure. Currently, to divert the people’s attention from inflation and unemployment, such issues are being raked up. Since they have their government in the Centre as well as in the state, they should find out who did this and punish those who are responsible,” the senior NCP leader said.

    MUMBAI: The BJP and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena on Saturday shared a picture and video of each other’s leaders with a `relative’ of 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Yakub Memon.

    BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar circulated a video claiming that it showed one Rauf Memon, Yakub’s relative, attending a meeting with Sena leader and former Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar.

    Uddhav Thackeray’s aide Harshal Pradhan hit back by sharing a photograph purportedly showing the same Rauf Memon with BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis and Chandrakant Patil.

    Earlier this week, the BJP had claimed that Yakub Memon’s grave was beautified when the coalition government led by Uddhav Thackeray was in power in Maharashtra, a charge rejected by the Shiv Sena.

    Yakub Memon, one of the Memon brothers who were prime conspirators of the 1993 serial blasts, was hanged in 2015 following his conviction.

    the Sena leaders maintained that the party and the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government had nothing to do with it and that it was being dragged into the issue unnecessarily.

    As the row erupted over the issue, Mumbai police swung into action on Thursday, removing the LED lights put around the grave of the terror convict, who was hanged at Nagpur jail in 2015 and buried at the Bada Qabrastan in south Mumbai.

    A DCP-level police officer will probe how the LED lights and marble tiles came to “adorn” the terror convict’s grave, an official said.

    With some Maharashtra BJP leaders targeting the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, the latter said the whole issue was an attempt to divert people’s attention from more important issues like inflation and unemployment.

    State BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said Thackeray should apologise to the people of Mumbai and Maharashtra for this “beautification” attempt of the grave of a person responsible for killing 250 people.

    A local BJP leader said Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi should also apologise over the issue.

    A police official said halogen lights were installed in the Bada Qabrastan on the occasion of Badi Raat (Shab-e-Barat) and have been removed by the Qabrastan trustees.

    Shab-e-Barat is a major celebration for the Muslim community is also known as the night of fortune and forgiveness.

    The marble tiles around Memon’s grave were put up three years ago, he said.

    There are 13 other graves at the place, he added.

    The Shiv Sena said the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led government had nothing to do with the beautification of the grave of Memon, who was hanged on July 30, 2015 for his role in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts.

    Shiv Sena MP from Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency, Arvind Sawant, told reporters that the Bada Qabrastan, where the grave is located, is a private property and the state government does not have anything to do with it.

    “Why drag the Shiv Sena into this issue? This is nothing but an attempt to divert people’s attention from serious issues facing the country. It is also an attempt to create communal tension in the society,” he alleged.

    Sawant sought to know why the body of Memon was handed over to his kin after he was hanged by the then BJP-led government at the Centre and state.

    “America gave Osama bin Laden a burial at sea. The body of 26/11 terror attacks convict Ajmal Kasab was also not handed over to his kin,” he pointed out.

    Asserting that his party had nothing to do with the issue and the controversy it is generating, Sawant demanded a probe into the beautification.

    Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray accused the BJP of trying to disrupt peace ahead of the civic polls in Mumbai by creating a controversy over the grave of Memon.

    Talking to reporters, Thackeray said the BJP should first reply why Memon’s body was allowed to be buried after execution in 2015.

    He said the Baba Qabrastan where Memon was buried is a private trust and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had no role in it.

    “Raking up this issue is a tactic to disrupt peace ahead of the civic polls,” the former state minister said.

    Meanwhile, talking to reporters in Pimpri Chinchwad near Pune, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Ajit Pawar claimed that the issue was being raked up to divert the attention of people from unemployment and inflation.

    Replying to a question over the controversy, Pawar said that such things about a ‘deshdrohi’ (traitor) should not happen in the country.

    Asked about the BJP holding the MVA government responsible for this beautification attempt of the grave, Pawar said, “For several years, BJP was with Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray and because of Shiv Sena that BJP could reach the rural areas.”

    “Be it any government, no one will want such things to happen during their tenure. Currently, to divert the people’s attention from inflation and unemployment, such issues are being raked up. Since they have their government in the Centre as well as in the state, they should find out who did this and punish those who are responsible,” the senior NCP leader said.

  • Maharashtra’s Shinde camp makes mega plan to woo ground-level Shiv Sainik toward them

    Express News Service

    Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde factions are concerned about the hard-core Shiv Sainik who has not yet moved away from Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena.

    According to the Shinde camp, they successfully poached the majority of elected representatives particularly – MLAs and MP, but ground Shiv Sainik has not moved.

    “It is true that the majority of local Shiv Sainik still remained with Uddhav Thackeray. Until and unless they move out, we will not be able to elect our people. Therefore, we are having a strategy to get back these hard-core Shiv Sainiks. We are working on various levels. The first is to get the party name and symbol,” said a senior minister of the Shinde government.

    He said the legal fight and the Supreme Court order are very crucial for them.

    “As per the people’s representatives act, we got the majority of MLAs and MPs with our side. Besides, in the last two years, no local body elections happened. So these civic bodies are run by the administrators. If the elected representatives had been there, that would have given advance to Uddhav Thackeray, but now we are having a favourable situation to get the party name and symbol as well.

    “The elections commission will give order in our favour. Once this symbol and party name issue is clear, then most of the remaining Shiv Sainik with Uddhav Thackeray will start flocking towards us. The reason everyone wants a secure future. No one will work in an uncertain future and leader party,” said the Shinde camp MLA requesting anonymity.

    Rahul Shewale, Shinde camp Lok Sabha MP, said that they are concerned about Mumbai’s Sena cadre.

    “The local Shiv Sena cadre is still with Uddhav Thackeray, but we have a mega plan for them as well. We will have an area-wise party. We will target building and resolve their issues, then naturally these people will join us. Everyone is concerned about their future and Shiv Sainik will have a future with Shinde and BJP only,” he added.

    Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde factions are concerned about the hard-core Shiv Sainik who has not yet moved away from Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena.

    According to the Shinde camp, they successfully poached the majority of elected representatives particularly – MLAs and MP, but ground Shiv Sainik has not moved.

    “It is true that the majority of local Shiv Sainik still remained with Uddhav Thackeray. Until and unless they move out, we will not be able to elect our people. Therefore, we are having a strategy to get back these hard-core Shiv Sainiks. We are working on various levels. The first is to get the party name and symbol,” said a senior minister of the Shinde government.

    He said the legal fight and the Supreme Court order are very crucial for them.

    “As per the people’s representatives act, we got the majority of MLAs and MPs with our side. Besides, in the last two years, no local body elections happened. So these civic bodies are run by the administrators. If the elected representatives had been there, that would have given advance to Uddhav Thackeray, but now we are having a favourable situation to get the party name and symbol as well.

    “The elections commission will give order in our favour. Once this symbol and party name issue is clear, then most of the remaining Shiv Sainik with Uddhav Thackeray will start flocking towards us. The reason everyone wants a secure future. No one will work in an uncertain future and leader party,” said the Shinde camp MLA requesting anonymity.

    Rahul Shewale, Shinde camp Lok Sabha MP, said that they are concerned about Mumbai’s Sena cadre.

    “The local Shiv Sena cadre is still with Uddhav Thackeray, but we have a mega plan for them as well. We will have an area-wise party. We will target building and resolve their issues, then naturally these people will join us. Everyone is concerned about their future and Shiv Sainik will have a future with Shinde and BJP only,” he added.

  • After securing ties with Sambhaji Brigade, Uddhav gears up for legacy war over Shiv Sena’s Dussehra rally

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Mumbai’s civic body on Friday said it had received applications from the Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde factions of the Shiv Sena to “book” the sprawling Shivaji Park for a Dussehra rally.

    The rally, possibly the most important event of Shiv Sena’s political calendar, has been taking place for several decades but has two claimants this time due to the split in the Sena following a rebellion by Chief Minister Shinde in June.”

    “We have received two applications last month for booking Shivaji Park for the Dussehra rally. The first application was of the Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena on August 22 and the second was from the Shinde group just before Ganesh festival,” a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation official told PTI.

    No decision has been taken on the two applications, the official said on condition of anonymity.

    Earlier, Uddhav Thackeray had said that his party would hold the Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park as before, while his son and former minister Aaditya Thackeray had alleged the party’s application for nod for the rally was facing hurdles from authorities.

    The first Dussehra rally was held in 1966 and was addressed by Sena founder late Bal Thackeray, whose fiery speeches have since come to signify the event.

    It is attended by party workers from across the state.

    Meanwhile, the Uddhav faction and Sambhaji Brigade on Friday announced that they will come out with a common minimum programme (CMP) in the coming days and undertake political and other activities.

    Addressing a joint press conference here, the Maratha outfit’s state vice president Suhas Rane and the Sena spokesman Chintamani Kharkhanis said both the parties have laid their differences to rest and have come together for the benefit of the state.

    The future action plans will be discussed in meetings with Thackeray and the outfit’s president Manoj Akhre, they said.

    “We will constitute district committees and hold Shiv Samvad rallies across the state,” they said.

    Rane further said that the brigade believes and supports the Hindutva promoted by Prabhodhankar Thackeray and hence, has joined hands with the Shiv Sena.

    “We are not keen on seat sharing in the coming elections, but want to do some constructive work in the state along with the Shiv Sena,” he said.

    The Shiv Sena’s Thane district president Kedar Dighe said the party always believes in constructive politics.

    MUMBAI: Mumbai’s civic body on Friday said it had received applications from the Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde factions of the Shiv Sena to “book” the sprawling Shivaji Park for a Dussehra rally.

    The rally, possibly the most important event of Shiv Sena’s political calendar, has been taking place for several decades but has two claimants this time due to the split in the Sena following a rebellion by Chief Minister Shinde in June.”

    “We have received two applications last month for booking Shivaji Park for the Dussehra rally. The first application was of the Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena on August 22 and the second was from the Shinde group just before Ganesh festival,” a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation official told PTI.

    No decision has been taken on the two applications, the official said on condition of anonymity.

    Earlier, Uddhav Thackeray had said that his party would hold the Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park as before, while his son and former minister Aaditya Thackeray had alleged the party’s application for nod for the rally was facing hurdles from authorities.

    The first Dussehra rally was held in 1966 and was addressed by Sena founder late Bal Thackeray, whose fiery speeches have since come to signify the event.

    It is attended by party workers from across the state.

    Meanwhile, the Uddhav faction and Sambhaji Brigade on Friday announced that they will come out with a common minimum programme (CMP) in the coming days and undertake political and other activities.

    Addressing a joint press conference here, the Maratha outfit’s state vice president Suhas Rane and the Sena spokesman Chintamani Kharkhanis said both the parties have laid their differences to rest and have come together for the benefit of the state.

    The future action plans will be discussed in meetings with Thackeray and the outfit’s president Manoj Akhre, they said.

    “We will constitute district committees and hold Shiv Samvad rallies across the state,” they said.

    Rane further said that the brigade believes and supports the Hindutva promoted by Prabhodhankar Thackeray and hence, has joined hands with the Shiv Sena.

    “We are not keen on seat sharing in the coming elections, but want to do some constructive work in the state along with the Shiv Sena,” he said.

    The Shiv Sena’s Thane district president Kedar Dighe said the party always believes in constructive politics.

  • SC refers pleas filed by Sena, Shinde to Constitution bench

    Express News Service

    CHENNAI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday referred to a five-judge bench the petitions filed by the Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde raising several constitutional questions related to defection, merger and disqualification.

    A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana ordered the listing of petitions before the constitution bench on Thursday and directed the Election Commission not to pass any orders on Shinde faction’s plea that it be considered the real Shiv Sena and granted the party’s poll symbol.

    “List matter before Constitution Bench day after tomorrow and issue as to whether proceedings before Election Commission should go on or not can be considered by that bench. Till such time let the Election Commission not take any action,” the CJI said after considering the request made by Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal for restraining the ECI from deciding Shinde’s claim.

    While referring the matter to a larger bench, the CJI led bench noted that it was imperative to settle the issue related to the power of the Speaker/Deputy Speaker to initiate disqualification proceedings when such proceedings had been initiated against him.

    Court also said that the issue as to whether a petition under Article 32 or 226 could lie against disqualification proceedings and could a court holds that member was deemed to be disqualified due by virtue of his own actions.The bench was hearing pending cases related to the recent political crisis in Maharashtra that led to the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the state.

    CHENNAI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday referred to a five-judge bench the petitions filed by the Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde raising several constitutional questions related to defection, merger and disqualification.

    A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana ordered the listing of petitions before the constitution bench on Thursday and directed the Election Commission not to pass any orders on Shinde faction’s plea that it be considered the real Shiv Sena and granted the party’s poll symbol.

    “List matter before Constitution Bench day after tomorrow and issue as to whether proceedings before Election Commission should go on or not can be considered by that bench. Till such time let the Election Commission not take any action,” the CJI said after considering the request made by Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal for restraining the ECI from deciding Shinde’s claim.

    While referring the matter to a larger bench, the CJI led bench noted that it was imperative to settle the issue related to the power of the Speaker/Deputy Speaker to initiate disqualification proceedings when such proceedings had been initiated against him.

    Court also said that the issue as to whether a petition under Article 32 or 226 could lie against disqualification proceedings and could a court holds that member was deemed to be disqualified due by virtue of his own actions.The bench was hearing pending cases related to the recent political crisis in Maharashtra that led to the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the state.

  • In battle for Mumbai corporation, Shinde, BJP try to undercut Sena by luring Govinda troupes

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s announcement that Dahi Handi will be recognized as an adventure sport has drawn criticism, but it is also being seen as an attempt to cut into the base of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena ahead of Mumbai civic polls.

    With Dahi Handi being recognized as a sport, its participants, popularly called `Govindas’, will become eligible for a quota in government jobs.

    Activists and political commentators ridiculed the move on Friday while political parties were muted in their opposition.

    But the decision puts the Thackeray faction of the Sena in a quandary, because the Govinda troupes, made up predominantly of lower-middle class Marathi-speaking youngsters, come from its traditional support base.

    Shinde, who started his political career as an ordinary Shiv Sena worker in neighbouring Thane and rose through the ranks, rebelled against Thackeray in June this year and brought down the Thackeray-led Sena-NCP-Congress government in Maharashtra.

    Shinde then became chief minister with the support of rebel Sena MLAs and the BJP.

    The coming elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the country’s richest civic body, will be a do-or-die affair for the Uddhav-led faction.

    The Sena has been in power in the BMC for several years.

    Dahi Handi, during which teams of participants form human pyramids and break earthen pots containing curd or buttermilk hung high above the ground, is an important part of the Krishna Janmashtami festival in Maharashtra.

    But in big cities, especially in Mumbai and Thane, Dahi Handi events have also attracted politicians as a way of distributing patronage at the local level.

    “Govindas are an asset for a political party to establish its influence in a locality. Economically it is not very expensive for any politician or party to fund them. They came in handy at the time of election. For a long time, the Shiv Sena has retained their loyalty and thus maintained its dominance in street politics,” said a political analyst.

    In rural Maharashtra, politicians try to control the networks of cooperative sugar mills, credit societies, banks and educational institutes as a way to consolidate their power base.

    “Similarly a vast network of Govinda troupes and Ganesh mandals has helped Shiv Sena to remain dominant in Mumbai and Thane. Such control also has a nuisance value and the Sena has utilised it,” the analyst said.

    Hence, chief minister Shinde’s attempt to woo Govinda troupes attached to the Sena pose a threat for the Uddhav faction.

    “They are getting medical (insurance) protection and the carrot of government jobs through sports quota is also being dangled before them,” noted a Sena MLA from Mumbai who is loyal to Uddhav Thackeray, adding that this will make an impact during the BMC elections.

    Sena leader Sunil Prabhu, who belongs to the Thackeray faction, praised Shinde’s decision in the Assembly but also said that it was “our demand for a long time that Govinda troupes be given medical protection and Dahi Handi be recognised as a sports activity.”

    A former spokesperson of the Maharashtra unit of the BJP said the saffron party always had a strong base in the middle and upper middle classes, but not in the lower middle class.

    “The lower income group, made up of people who often do not own a house in Mumbai, do small jobs and have limited education, has been largely tapped by Shiv Sena. Shinde, who knows the Sena inside out, switching sides would turn out to be a major game-changer for the BJP,” he said.

    “The Dahi handi announcement was also important because for the first time in BMC elections, it will be the BJP versus everyone else. The party has plans to dethrone (Thackeray-led) Sena. In such a situation, Shinde decided to give Dahi Handi recognition as a sport, offer free medical support and government jobs through sports quota to the Govindas. It will definitely lead many Govinda troupes in Mumbai which have been traditionally with the Sena to cross over,” he added.

    But the announcement has also irked those taking the exams of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission for government jobs.

    Asked about this sentiment, the BJP leader said it was true that the decision did not go down well with MPSC aspirants.

    “But this is not a constituency that we should be worried about. There are already very few government jobs available and the selection process is tough. It is not as if the Govindas will get a red carpet treatment. Even in sports quota, there will be huge competition,” he said.

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s announcement that Dahi Handi will be recognized as an adventure sport has drawn criticism, but it is also being seen as an attempt to cut into the base of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena ahead of Mumbai civic polls.

    With Dahi Handi being recognized as a sport, its participants, popularly called `Govindas’, will become eligible for a quota in government jobs.

    Activists and political commentators ridiculed the move on Friday while political parties were muted in their opposition.

    But the decision puts the Thackeray faction of the Sena in a quandary, because the Govinda troupes, made up predominantly of lower-middle class Marathi-speaking youngsters, come from its traditional support base.

    Shinde, who started his political career as an ordinary Shiv Sena worker in neighbouring Thane and rose through the ranks, rebelled against Thackeray in June this year and brought down the Thackeray-led Sena-NCP-Congress government in Maharashtra.

    Shinde then became chief minister with the support of rebel Sena MLAs and the BJP.

    The coming elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the country’s richest civic body, will be a do-or-die affair for the Uddhav-led faction.

    The Sena has been in power in the BMC for several years.

    Dahi Handi, during which teams of participants form human pyramids and break earthen pots containing curd or buttermilk hung high above the ground, is an important part of the Krishna Janmashtami festival in Maharashtra.

    But in big cities, especially in Mumbai and Thane, Dahi Handi events have also attracted politicians as a way of distributing patronage at the local level.

    “Govindas are an asset for a political party to establish its influence in a locality. Economically it is not very expensive for any politician or party to fund them. They came in handy at the time of election. For a long time, the Shiv Sena has retained their loyalty and thus maintained its dominance in street politics,” said a political analyst.

    In rural Maharashtra, politicians try to control the networks of cooperative sugar mills, credit societies, banks and educational institutes as a way to consolidate their power base.

    “Similarly a vast network of Govinda troupes and Ganesh mandals has helped Shiv Sena to remain dominant in Mumbai and Thane. Such control also has a nuisance value and the Sena has utilised it,” the analyst said.

    Hence, chief minister Shinde’s attempt to woo Govinda troupes attached to the Sena pose a threat for the Uddhav faction.

    “They are getting medical (insurance) protection and the carrot of government jobs through sports quota is also being dangled before them,” noted a Sena MLA from Mumbai who is loyal to Uddhav Thackeray, adding that this will make an impact during the BMC elections.

    Sena leader Sunil Prabhu, who belongs to the Thackeray faction, praised Shinde’s decision in the Assembly but also said that it was “our demand for a long time that Govinda troupes be given medical protection and Dahi Handi be recognised as a sports activity.”

    A former spokesperson of the Maharashtra unit of the BJP said the saffron party always had a strong base in the middle and upper middle classes, but not in the lower middle class.

    “The lower income group, made up of people who often do not own a house in Mumbai, do small jobs and have limited education, has been largely tapped by Shiv Sena. Shinde, who knows the Sena inside out, switching sides would turn out to be a major game-changer for the BJP,” he said.

    “The Dahi handi announcement was also important because for the first time in BMC elections, it will be the BJP versus everyone else. The party has plans to dethrone (Thackeray-led) Sena. In such a situation, Shinde decided to give Dahi Handi recognition as a sport, offer free medical support and government jobs through sports quota to the Govindas. It will definitely lead many Govinda troupes in Mumbai which have been traditionally with the Sena to cross over,” he added.

    But the announcement has also irked those taking the exams of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission for government jobs.

    Asked about this sentiment, the BJP leader said it was true that the decision did not go down well with MPSC aspirants.

    “But this is not a constituency that we should be worried about. There are already very few government jobs available and the selection process is tough. It is not as if the Govindas will get a red carpet treatment. Even in sports quota, there will be huge competition,” he said.