Maharashtra state chief minister Eknath Shinde claimed that Uddhav Thackeray discarded Bal Thackeray’s ideology in favour of working with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress.
Speaking at an event organised here to mark the 57th foundation day of Shiv Sena, Shinde launched a scathing attack on Uddhav, who heads Shiv Sena (UBT) faction, and said Bal Thackeray’s ideology was compromised for the chief minister’s chair.
You discarded the principles of Balsaheb for power, for the sake of chair. Balsaheb once said that he would not allow Shiv Sena to become Congress and if that happens, he will shut his shop. But today, you (Uddhav) went with NCP and Congress. This is a betrayal on your side and that truth you spoke yesterday, he said referring to the speech delivered by Uddhav during Shiv Sena (UBT) plenary.
You fumbled when you said our betrayal is completing one year. But you immediately corrected yourself and blamed those leaders who left the party last year. It is you who is a traitor but you forgot the date, he added. Shinde said the allegations of being traitors levelled against him and other MLAs will not help Uddhav gain any public sympathy.
You will not get the sympathy of people as you have abandoned Balsaheb’s principles for power, he added. This was the first foundation day event addressed by Shinde after a split in the Shiv Sena and the collapse of his government last year.
Bal Thackeray founded the Shiv Sena on June 19, 1966, and made the pride of Marathi manoos (Marathi speakers in Mumbai) the core plank of its politics.