Maharashtra state chief minister Eknath Shinde said the name of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray cannot be separated from the Ayodhya movement, a remark that came in the wake of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Chandrakant Patil questioning the role of Sena workers in the Babri mosque demolition.
I told BJP leader and minister Chandrakant Patil that he shouldn’t have spoken against Balasaheb Thackeray. Patil’s statement that not a single Sena worker was present when the Babri mosque in Ayodhya was demolished in 1992 has put the BJP in a spot, as it is a partner in the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in the Maharashtra government.
Ayodhya is a matter of faith for me. We got the Shiv Sena name and symbol because people have accepted our stand on why we rebelled, he said, adding that his government was not scared of holding local bodies elections in the state.
Balasaheb Thackeray cannot be taken out of the Ayodhya movement. The late Sena chief gave the slogan Garv se kaho hum Hindu hai Say with pride, we are Hindus) and people became united as Hindus, he said.
We sent silver bricks (to Ayodhya) from Thane. I want to ask where was today’s leader during the kar seva (movement to demolish the Babri structure), he said, apparently targeting Uddhav Thackeray.
Targeting Uddhav Thackeray, Shinde said the state saw lack of development because of his ego. What is the harm in seeking help from the Centre for state’s welfare? he asked. Shinde said his government was focusing on infrastructure development which was stopped during the erstwhile MVA rule.
The mandate in the 2019 Assembly elections was for the Shiv Sena-BJP and had the MVA continued, the future of the Shiv Sena MLAs was bleak, he said, adding that the gaddar (traitor) tag should be for Uddhav Thackeray and not for him.
When asked if the 2024 Assembly election would be led by him, Shinde said the polls are still far away. Having a face is immaterial. Workers are the face of the party, he said. To a question on the disqualification of a 16-member rebel group, Shinde said his government was constitutional and as per democratic norms.