Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde on Monday said Uddhav Thackeray discarded Bal Thackeray’s ideology to join hands with NCP and Congress.
Speaking at an event organised here to mark the 57th foundation day of Shiv Sena, Shinde launched a scathing attack on Uddhav, who heads Shiv Sena (UBT) faction, and said Bal Thackeray's ideology was compromised for the chief minister's chair.
"You discarded the principles of Balsaheb for power, for the sake of chair. Balsaheb once said that he would not allow Shiv Sena to become Congress and if that happens, he will shut his shop. But today, you (Uddhav) went with NCP and Congress. This is a betrayal on your side and that truth you spoke yesterday," he said referring to the speech delivered by Uddhav during Shiv Sena (UBT) plenary.
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In your speech, you asked the party workers to celebrate June 20 as the 'gaddar divas' (traitors' day), Shinde said.
"You fumbled when you said 'our' betrayal is completing one year. But you immediately corrected yourself and blamed those leaders who left the party last year. It is you who is a traitor but you forgot the date," he added.
Shinde said the allegations of being traitors levelled against him and other MLAs will not help Uddhav gain any public sympathy.
"You will not get the sympathy of people as you have abandoned Balsaheb's principles for power," he added.
This was the first foundation day event addressed by Shinde after a split in the Shiv Sena and the collapse of his government last year.
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Bal Thackeray founded the Shiv Sena on June 19, 1966, and made the pride of `Marathi manoos' (Marathi speakers in Mumbai) the core plank of its politics.
The Shiv Sena split in June last year after Shinde and 39 other MLAs of the party rebelled against then Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and toppled the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition government of the Sena, NCP and Congress.
Both the factions have now been trying to claim the mantle of the 'true inheritor' of Bal Thackeray's legacy ahead of the next year's Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly elections as well as the long-due civic polls in Mumbai.
-With PTI Input
