Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday (August 20) said that the undivided Shiv Sena and Congress were bitter rivals in the past but they did not act with vindictiveness towards each other. Speaking at an event in Mumbai to mark the birth anniversary of late Rajiv Gandhi, he also noted that central agencies never knocked on the doors of Shiv Sena leaders even though party founder Bal Thackeray spoke scathingly about the then prime minister.
The `Sadbhavana Diwas' program was organised by the Mumbai unit of Congress, Uddhav Thackeray's ally since 2019 after he split away from the Bharatiya Janata Party.
"Shiv Sena and Congress were bitter opponents but they never acted vindictively towards each other," Thackeray said.
Rajiv Gandhi, as prime minister, never shied away from facing challenges while the present government was not concerned even when violence flared up in Manipur and Kashmir, he said, taking a swipe at the Narendra Modi regime at the Centre.
Uddhav Thackeray on upcoming Assembly Elections
Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday at the MVA meeting said that the Maharashtra assembly elections will be a fight to protect self-respect of the state. While addressing a gathering at the MVA meeting, he said that he will back any candidate announced by the Congress and the NCP(SP) as MVA’s CM face for the state’s upcoming assembly elections.
Uddhav Thackeray said, "Let's decide the CM face of Maha Vikas Aghadi, I will support it. Let Congress, NCP-SCP suggest their CM face, I will support it because we have to work for the betterment of Maharashtra and I want to give a reply to these '50 khokas' & 'gaddar' that people want us, not you."
"Let's discuss what you (Mahayuti) do and what we do (Maha Vikas Aghadi) for the country and state. They are not conducting Municipal Corporation elections and they have not yet decided the upcoming election dates (for State Assembly elections),” he added.
(With PTI inputs)
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