Maharashtra BJP leader criticises Uddhav Thackeray amid rising political tensions

Aug 11 (PTI) Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule has launched a scathing attack on Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, claiming the former chief minister has abandoned the "bhagwa" (saffron) ideology and distanced himself from the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Bawankule's comments come in the wake of Thackeray's speech to party workers in Thane on Saturday, where he accused Chief Minister Eknath Shinde of capitulating to Delhi and declared the upcoming assembly elections as a battle against those who "hate" Maharashtra.

During his address, Thackeray referred to his party workers as his 'wagh-nakh' (tiger-claw), a symbolic reference to a weapon used by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in historic battles.

The former CM did not shy away from controversy, previously labelling BJP leader Amit Shah as "Ahmed Shah Abdali" after Shah accused Thackeray of leading the "Aurangzeb fan club".

In a post on social media platform X, Bawankule derided Thackeray, asserting, "Aurangzeb fan club leader Uddhav Thackeray went to Thane and made a lot of noise about making BJP 'Ram Mukt' but it will not be possible for you even in this lifetime."

He further criticised Thackeray for the presence of green flags at his rallies and highlighted protests outside Thackeray's residence, where members of the Muslim community questioned his lack of support for the Waqf Board after they had voted for his party in the Lok Sabha elections.

Bawankule accused Thackeray of neglecting the legacy of Shivaji Maharaj and instead carrying the "palanquin of Aurangzeb's successors."

He warned that Thackeray's political downfall had begun, saying, "For personal gain, you forgot pujya (respected) Balasaheb (Thackery); the public will not forgive you."

The attack from the BJP leader came a day after alliance partners of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) hit out at the ruling alliance for failing to prevent an attack by MNS workers on Uddhav Thackeray's convoy in Thane.

Thackeray arrived for an event at the Gadkari Rangayatan auditorium in Thane on Saturday, when a handful workers of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) staged a protest and threw tomatoes and cow dung at his convoy. Police detained some MNS workers.

Earlier, on Friday, some Shiv Sena (UBT) members threw betel nuts at the convoy of MNS chief Raj Thackeray in Beed.

In response to these incidents, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday said, "Abdali enjoys that Marathi people are fighting with each other."

Raut claimed that certain individuals had been "contracted" by Abdali to instigate divisions, though he refrained from naming anyone specifically.

On the attack on Raj Thackeray's convoy, Raut distanced his party from the actions, attributing them to individuals advocating for the Maratha quota.

"I will request everyone to wait for two months. The ensuing period will reveal the response to this course of action," he said while warning the assailants (who targeted Uddhav Thackeray's convoy) that they should consider their families amid the ongoing political strife.

Meanwhile, NCP (SP) leader and Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule also condemned the attack on Uddhav Thackeray's convoy, calling it "unfortunate" and expressing concern for the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader's safety.

Sule criticised Maharashtra's home minister, Devendra Fadnavis, for what she deemed a failure of police intelligence and called for a thorough investigation into the incident. PTI ND SKL GK