Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday hit back at Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Minister Aaditya Thackeray, calling him 'Mercedes baby'.
"These 'Mercedes babies', born with golden spoon in the mouth, never had to do any struggle, nor did they see any struggle," the former Maharashtra CM told reporters in Nagpur.
He said that Aaditya can not appreciate the struggle of Karsevaks who fought for Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Aaditya is the son of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Aaditya, 31, is a Minister in the MVA government -- an alliance of three political parties (Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress).
"Therefore they can certainly make fun of Karsevaks' struggle. Lakhs of Karsevaks like us are proud that we were there when the Babri structure was brought down. I personally was there and was a corporator at that time," Fadnavis who helmed the BJP-Shiv Sena government in the state for 5 years from 2014 to 2019 said.
"I am Hindu, and hence I believe in past life and rebirth. If I had past life, I would be fighting alongside Tatya Tope and Jhansi Ki Rani (Rani Laxmibai) in the 1857 war," Fadnavis said.
"You (in your past life) would have formed alliance with the British because now you have formed an alliance with those who do not consider the war of 1857 as freedom struggle," the BJP leader added, without naming Aaditya Thackeray.
Aaditya had reportedly ridiculed Fadnavis over the latter's claim that he was present when the Babri Masjid was demolished in 1992. Fadnavis must have also taken part in the 1857 rebellion, he had reportedly said.
Speaking later, Fadnavis at an event said he was 22 years old when he visited Ayodhya during the Ram Mandir agitation, and not 13 years old as stated by some people.
The BJP and Shiv Sena have been at loggerheads ever since the latter separated from the BJP-led NDA in 2019 after the polls, ending a 25-year-long political partnership. It then joined the ranks with then arch-rivals Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) of Sharad Pawar and Congress to form an alliance government in the state. Although the BJP and Shiv Sena had contested polls together and secured a comfortable majority, the Shiv Sena decided to exit and formed the government with opponents. The alliance government is headed by Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray, son of Bal Thackeray who was a staunch Hindu.
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