Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Feb 8: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday threw down the gauntlet to Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, challenging him to engineer a split in his party without using central agencies like the CBI and ED.
Scoffing at reports that six of his nine MPs might switch sides, Thackeray asserted that all were firmly committed to the party. "If Shinde has the guts, let him do it without misusing government machinery. Their attempts will be foiled," he declared while presenting a performance report of Leader of Opposition in the State Council, Ambadas Danve.
His remarks came in response to what he called ‘Operation Tiger,’ a purported bid by the ruling Shiv Sena to poach UBT MPs. Shiv Sena minister Uday Samant had claimed that six UBT MPs were likely to defect, while Shinde asserted that all were in touch with him.
Thackeray dismissed these claims, calling it a ploy to create unrest within his faction. "This is an attempt to isolate me because I refuse to bow down. But let me make it clear traitors will always be traitors, and history will not remember them," he said, urging the Marathi Manoos to stay united against BJP's alleged "divide and rule" tactics.
Reaffirming his Hindutva stance, he questioned BJP’s commitment to the Marathi identity. "Is Marathi Manoos not Hindu? BJP's slogan ‘Batenge to Katenge’ during the elections was not about Hindu-Muslim division but about dividing Marathi people," he alleged.
Thackeray also slammed the delay in Mumbai civic body (BMC) elections, warning of the city’s deteriorating financial health under government-appointed administrators. "When Shiv Sena ruled BMC, its fixed deposits stood at Rs 93,000 cr. Now, they’ve been reduced to Rs 80,000 cr, and liabilities have surged to Rs 2.3 lac cr. It will take 23 years to clear these debts!" he warned.
He criticized alleged attempts to privatize BMC-run hospitals and called on party workers to resist such moves.
Supporting Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s concerns over the recent assembly poll results, Thackeray accused the ruling BJP of manipulating elections. "They may have stolen the majority using government machinery, but in people’s minds, we remain the true winners," he asserted.