The leader of the Shiv Sena group, Dr. Shrikant Shinde, launched a scathing attack on Uddhav Thackeray and the Shiv Sena (UBT) for what he described as their “helplessness and selfishness.”
Dr. Shinde criticised Thackeray for spending three days in Delhi, allegedly to secure the position of Chief Minister by appealing to Congress.
Uddhav Thackeray and the Shiv Sena (UBT) have reduced themselves to staying in Delhi for their personal gains, he said. Shinde alleged that Uddhav Thackeray’s current actions are a betrayal of the Hindutva ideology that his father late Balasaheb Thackeray championed.
In a press conference held in Delhi, Shinde also pointed out the absence of Sena UBT MPs during the discussion of the Waqf Amendment Bill in Parliament.
"The Sena UBT, having abandoned the ideals of Hindutva, did not dare to take a stand. In 2019, they betrayed Hindutva, and now in 2024, they are betraying the very people who elected them. Their refusal to engage with the Waqf Bill only underscores their ideological confusion and selfish politics," Shinde said.
Further criticising Sena UBT's alliance with Congress and NCP, Shinde argued that the Shiv Sena had been elected in 2019 under the banner of Balasaheb Thackeray and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, only for Sena UBT to later form an alliance with Congress and NCP for power. He accused Sena UBT of seeking the votes of a particular community during the Lok Sabha elections, only to avoid representing them when it mattered.
"The Muslim community placed their trust in you, yet you abandoned them when the Waqf Board Bill came up. While other parties presented their positions, Sena UBT MPs fled the hall, avoiding any responsibility," he asserted.
Shinde also addressed the ongoing power struggle within the Maha Vikas Aghadi, ridiculing the constant jockeying for the position of Chief Minister. "Every day, a new name is announced as the face of the Chief Ministership, and these leaders come to Delhi, hoping to gain favour. But Sena UBT, when in power, did nothing for the farmers, sisters, and youth," he stated.
He contrasted this with the initiatives of the current government, mentioning programs like the CM's Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, which provides free higher education for girls, scholarships for backward class students, and the Ladka Bhau Yojana for youth.
"The Mahayuti government is focused on comprehensive development and delivering justice to all sections of society," Shinde added.
