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Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde launched a sharp attack on the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) faction while addressing the Legislative Council on the recent violence in Nagpur.
Shinde responded aggressively to MLA Anil Parab's statement, in which he compared himself to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, and accused the Opposition of compromising for power. While providing details on the violence that took place in Nagpur, Shinde also criticised Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi for his statement on Aurangzeb. He accused the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of engaging in political hypocrisy, claiming that while they publicly opposed BJP, they had secretly held discussions about allying. "In 2022, I did not do anything secretly. Whatever I did, I did openly and with a bold heart. But your leaders (Thackeray faction) secretly met BJP leaders and expressed willingness to form an alliance, only to backtrack later," Shinde remarked in the Council. Responding to Anil Parab's earlier claim that he was tortured like Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj to switch parties, Shinde dismissed the statement. "What torture did you go through? I know that you also bowed down after action was taken against you. But after being released from the case, you turned around like your leaders," he said. Challenging the comparison to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, Shinde underscored the brutal execution of the Maratha ruler at the hands of Aurangzeb. "His eyes were gouged out, his tongue was cut, his skin was peeled, and salt was rubbed into his wounds. Were you subjected to such atrocities? You gave in for power and broke the alliance for the Chief Minister's chair," he said, accusing the Opposition of conspiring to jail BJP leaders during the Maha Vikas Aghadi government's tenure. Speaking on the Nagpur incident, Shinde stated that eyewitness reports indicate the violence was pre-planned. "Every day, 100-150 two-wheelers are parked in one place in the riot-affected area, but on that day, not a single vehicle belonging to the rioters was found there. How did petrol bombs, sticks, and swords suddenly appear in such large numbers? This was clearly a planned act," he alleged. "We courageously freed the bow and arrow, which the Shiv Sena had handed over to the Congress," Shinde asserted, adding that the Shiv Sena (UBT) has no right to speak of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj as they have accepted the ideas of Aurangzeb. The Deputy Chief Minister reiterated his stance, emphasising that his political decisions were guided by the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray and Hindutva. (ANI)
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