Eknath Shinde, the chief minister of Maharashtra, attacked the INDIA alliance of the opposition on Thursday, claiming that its members were complicit in the alleged anti-Sanatan Dharma statements of Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin because they remained silent.
Without naming the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, he also recalled how strongly Sena founder Bal Thackeray had reacted against Congress veteran Mani Shankar Aiyar during a past controversy. Let any number of Stalins come, they can not eradicate Sanatan Dharma, Shinde said, talking to the media here after attending Dahi Handi (Janmashtami) celebrations.
These INDIA alliance members have come together against the Hindus, Hindutva, their real faces are now exposed. Had Balasaheb Thackeray been around today, they would have faced what Mani Shankar Aiyar (once) faced. But unfortunately, they are all tight-lipped, he added.
In 2004, the Shiv Sena, which was still united, retaliated against Aiyar for reportedly insulting Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, a freedom fighter and proponent of Hindu nationalism. The INDIA coalition now includes the Sena faction headed by Uddhav Thackeray, Bal Thackeray's son. In June 2022, Shinde overthrew Uddhav's rule and rose to the position of chief minister.
Shinde stated that he was certain that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would break the Handi in the 2024 elections (a reference to the Dahi Handi festivities in which the winning side is the one that manages to shatter a Handi or pitcher of curd). The chief minister claimed that although ISRO scientists' efforts contributed to the Chandrayaan-3 mission's accomplishment, Modi's motivation was the driving force behind it.