Devendra Fadnavis dismissed Uddhav Thackeray's claim that the defection of six Sena (UBT) MPs was part of "Operation Devendra."
Uddhav alleged that the defections were orchestrated to prevent Fadnavis from emerging as a future prime ministerial contender.
Fadnavis rejected the allegations, called the speculation over the shared flight a "coincidence."
The political sparring between Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray intensified over the weekend, with the BJP leader dismissing allegations that the defection of six Sena (UBT) MPs was orchestrated to weaken him within the party.
The latest exchange comes amid an ongoing rebellion in the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena after six of its Lok Sabha MPs recently joined the Eknath Shinde-led faction.
Uddhav Alleges 'Operation Devendra'
While touring the constituencies of the six rebel MPs, Uddhav Thackeray claimed that the defections were part of "Operation Devendra" rather than "Operation Tiger."
He alleged that the MPs were persuaded to switch sides not because of elections but to prevent Fadnavis from emerging as a future prime ministerial contender.
"The MPs were taken away when there were no elections. Why did they not join the BJP? I suspect this is actually 'Operation Devendra'," Thackeray said.
He further claimed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah may have engineered the move to "keep Fadnavis at a certain level so that he does not enter the race for the prime minister's post."
Responding to the remarks on Sunday, Fadnavis rejected the allegation with a sarcastic response.
"I am a human being. I don't have wings, so who can clip them? I have the blessings of Maharashtra's 14 crore people and my senior leaders, so there is no need to worry," he said.
Shared Flight Sparks Political Speculation
Uddhav Thackeray also referred to a recent flight from Mumbai to Nagpur, during which he and Fadnavis travelled together. A video of the journey had gone viral on social media.
Addressing party workers in Hingoli on Saturday, Thackeray claimed the chief minister looked "helpless" and lacked confidence during the flight.
Drawing a comparison with former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Thackeray alleged that leaders who become strong enough to emerge as prime ministerial contenders are sidelined by the BJP.
"The operation to steal six Sena (UBT) MPs is not Operation Tiger but Operation Devendra, carried out to cut him down to size," he said.
'When Did He See My Helplessness?'
Reacting to Thackeray's comments, Fadnavis said he spent the entire flight watching content on his phone and questioned how Thackeray could have judged his demeanour.
"I have a habit. Whenever I board a flight, I watch a movie or OTT or a web series downloaded on my phone. That is what I was doing throughout the flight. So, when did he see my helplessness?" Fadnavis said.
The chief minister also dismissed speculation over the two leaders travelling together, describing it as a mere coincidence.
Calling the political chatter "vedyancha bazaar" (mad market), Fadnavis said there was nothing unusual about two political leaders being on the same flight.
