Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
“The BJP’s claim that ‘we are the true Hindutvawadis and saviours of Hindus’ is nothing but a misleading farce,” said Uddhav Thackeray, chief of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction), on Saturday. “On one hand, they chant ‘Vande Mataram’, and on the other, they engage in massive corruption and loot, insulting the very nation they claim to love. The BJP’s fake Hindutva and hollow patriotism must be exposed before the people,” Thackeray informed his party workers.
He was addressing a meeting of Shiv Sena (UBT) office-bearers from the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Jalna Lok Sabha constituencies at the Chikalthana Goshalā on Saturday evening. Present on the dais were senior Shiv Sena leaders Chandrakant Khaire, former leader of opposition Ambadas Danve, deputy leader Subhash Patil, district contact chief Vinod Ghosalkar, and deputy leader Jyoti Thackeray.
After completing his four-day “Daghabaaz Re” (Betrayer) farmers’ interaction tour, Thackeray stopped in the city en route to Mumbai. He said, “Khaire and Danve have pledged to hoist the saffron flag over all nagar parishads, municipal corporations, zilla parishads, and panchayat samitis in both districts. Those who left the party were like rotten leaves; once they fall off, new leaves grow and strengthen the tree.”
Thackeray directed local leaders to hold meetings of group leaders (Gatpramukhs) and said he would come again to guide them. He also instructed them to verify voter names door-to-door using electoral rolls. Taking a jab at the BJP, he said, “BJP stands for a gathering of corruption. They would even welcome Dawood Ibrahim into their party if it suited them.”
Thackeray further alleged that ‘every day’ new corruption scandals involving ruling party leaders are surfacing land grabbing and pocketing public money through contractors has become their regular practice.
Shiv Sena leaders Khaire and Danve also addressed the gathering. The Goshalā’s president Manoj Bora welcomed Thackeray.
Remove the Green colour from the BJP flag
Thackeray took a swipe at the BJP over its alleged hypocrisy, saying, “In the name of friendship with Amit Shah’s son, they play cricket matches with Pakistan. Do such pseudo-Hindutvawadis have any moral right to say Vande Mataram? If the BJP truly believes it holds the contract for Hindutva, then let them remove the Green colour from their party flag.”
BJP has made Maharashtra number one in corruption
Thackeray remarked that during the COVID-19 pandemic, Maharashtra’s chief minister was rated as number one in the country. “But today, Maharashtra stands at the 10th position nationally and the ruling party has only succeeded in making it number one in corruption,” he said, in a sharp critique of the current government.