They (the National Democratic Alliance government) arrest those who they are scared of, said Aditya Thackeray on Thursday. Thackeray, ex minister and a leader of Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena, was responding to a query at India Today Conclave in Mumbai on the reports that Enforcement Directorate may include Aam Aadmi Party leadership in the beneficiaries of liquor policy scam.
Thackeray challenged the ruling dispensation to investigate allegations against their own leaders. “I have levelled so many charges including the street furniture scam. Why not investigate them if they are so firm on rooting out corruption? Why are their investigations always one-sided? Check out the release orders of our (jailed leaders) Sanjay Raut, Anil Deshmukh and you will see how this is being done vindictively,” Thackeray said.
He pointed that the Bharatiya Janata Party had welcomed all those who they only accused to be corrupt. “If Karnataka government was 40 percent sarkara, this is 100 percent corrupt sarkar. This government is in nexus with builders and contractors,” he alleged.
When asked was he aware Eknath Shinde will bolt, Thackeray said that we knew the whole daal was kaali. “We were getting reports from various sources. So my father called him and asked him if he wanted to be the Chief Minister. He started crying saying they (the BJP) will jail me, my son,” Thackeray said.
He also dared the Chief Minister, who was due to arrive at the conclave but cancelled as he had to dash to Delhi, to have an open discussion on issues like why he left, what is the state of industries in the state and other such issues. “He (Shinde) doesn’t even wake up in time, I missed two flights because of him,” he quipped when asked to respond on the allegations that Uddhav hardly ever went to Mantralaya when he was the CM.
On the question if his party would welcome the rebels back or if he could reveal how many were in touch with them, Thackeray said it was a matter of principles. I don’t want to scare the CM, he said. He recalled how these rebels had danced on the tables in Goa hotel and enjoyed hospitality in Guwahati while Assam was facing severe floods. “They left us in our toughest times. Shinde even asked some of his people after my father was hospitalised if he can make it (alive),” Thackeray said.
He was equally evasive on the question of possible reunion with the estranged family member and Maharana Navnirman President Raj Thackeray.
On the question if Udhhav’s Sena will ever get back with their previous ally the BJP, given that they both supported Hindutva, Thackeray said that our Hindutva was entirely different. “We believe in Dil mein Ram, Haath ko Kaam. We don’t welcome and garland rapists. We don’t break promises with our friends,” he said.
Aditya also brought up the government hospital deaths and said this government had failed the state entirely. “The health minister is releasing self congratulating advertisements even as media reports are pointing 40 infants are dying every day,” Thackeray said.
When asked about his mocking on social media about being a baby penguin, Thackeray said his penguins had got 50 crores to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. “We got so many animals to the zoo. Today, at least 30000 people are visiting the zoo. See what has happened to the cheetahs (a pet project by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi),” he said.