Thackeray lashes out at PM: Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday (August 6) hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for citing names such as Indian Mujahideen while talking about the Opposition alliance name ‘I.N.D.I.A’.
Slamming the Prime Minister for the same, Thackeray said that ‘I.N.D.I.A’ bloc comprises the parties that oppose those who strangle democracy and freedom.
"We feel proud when PM Modi meets foreign leaders abroad. Do you meet them as the prime minister of India or as Pradhan Sevak of Indian Mujahideen?" he asked while addressing workers of Shiv Sena (UBT) and activists of Sambhaji Brigade.
The Prime Minister had criticised the Opposition alliance taking up the ‘I.N.D.I.A’ name for itself and cited names like East India Company and Indian Mujahideen to assert that people cannot be misled merely by the use of the country's name.
Notably, after Nitish Kumar and Siddaramaiah, Uddhav Thackeray will the next to host the meeting of the joint Opposition in Mumbai, slated to be held on August 31 and September 1.
Hitting out at the Bharatiya Janata Party over the induction of leaders from other parties, Thackeray said the BJP has become the party of "ayarams" (turncoats) and it will now construct an "ayaram mandir".
Thackeray's swipe at Fadnavis
The "Aaya Ram Gaya Ram" expression in politics refers to the frequent floor-crossing, turn-coating, switching parties and political horse-trading.
"I pity cadres of BJP as they have to worship 'aayarams' in the party. Devendra Fadnavis has become a minister who is maintaining the muster record of the incoming people. How much burden will he take?" Thackeray questioned.
The Sena UBT chief also referred to a report regarding the Prime Minister asking the NDA MPs to get rakhis tied from Muslim women.
"If you have guts, get rakhis tied from women in Manipur who were paraded naked publicly and also from Bilkis Bano (the gang rape victim of the 2002 Gujarat communal riot)," Thackeray said.
He also slammed Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over the alleged communal tensions in the state after the Eknath Shinde government came to power.
"Descendants of (Mughal emperor) Aurangzeb are in the BJP. Aurangzeb is still alive and he is there in your party (BJP)....breaking other political parties... Devendraji. Why is it that communal tension is flaring up in Maharashtra invoking Aurangzeb after this government (led by Eknath Shinde) came to power?" he asked.
Thackeray further claimed that the BJP is making Shiv Sena and Nationalist Party factions fight each other.
"Even the British had brought development. Still, we demanded that they leave India. The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus station in Mumbai, the Gateway of India and the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) building are all constructed by the British," Thackeray added in an apparent jibe at Ajit Pawar who said that he joined the NDA government for the cause of development.
(With PTI inputs)
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