Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said that his party would not deviate from the Hindutva ideology.
“I am still with the ideology of Hindutva and won't ever leave it,” Thackeray told the Maharashtra Assembly, after it convened to elect the new House Speaker Nana Patole as well as the Leader of the Opposition, Devendra Fadnavis.
Earlier this week, Fadnavis had accused the Shiv Sena—the BJP’s former partner—of compromising on its Hindutva ideals by allying with the Congress.
Thackeray taunted Fadnavis, saying that he was in the House even though he had never said, “Me punha yein" (I will come back)", referring to Fadnavis’s election slogan.
Thackeray said that he still has respect for Fadnavis and sees him as a friend.
“I have learnt a lot of things from Devendra Fadnavis and I will always be friends with him. In the past five years, I have never betrayed the government.”
However, he added that he would not call Fadnavis an ‘Opposition leader’ but would instead call him a ‘responsible leader’. “I will not hesitate to admit that we have been good friends for a long time. Had you listened to us, I would have been sitting at home watching today's developments on TV.”
Thackeray called himself a “lucky CM” because “Those who opposed me are now with me and those who I was with are now on the opposite side. I am here with my luck and blessings of people. I have never told anyone that I will be coming here but I came.”
He added, "I can assure this House and people of Maharashtra that I will not do anything at midnight. I will be working for the interests of the people."
The common minimum programme of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance had secularism mentioned in its very first paragraph, “The alliance partners commit to uphold the secular values enshrined in the Constitution. On the contentious issue of national importance especially having repercussions/consequences on the secular fabric of the nation, the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress will take a joint view after holding consultations and arriving at a consensus.”
Many reports stated that the Shiv Sena had objected to the alliance having any commitment towards secularism, initially. However, NCP chief Sharad Pawar suggested that the word be used in reference to the Constitution. When asked about this at a press conference, Thackeray said, “What is the meaning of secular...It is the provisions of the Constitution.”
Fadnavis responded to Thackeray’s barbs over his "Me punha yein" remarks, saying Thackeray had just to wait for some time. He quoted a famous couplet, "Mera paani utarte dekh kinare par ghar mat bana lena, mein samundar hoon, laut kar vapis aaoonga (Thinking that the tide has ebbed, don't you dare build your house on the coast, for I am the sea, and I will come back)."
"I not only announced several projects in the last five years, but started work on them as well. You never know, I may come back to inaugurate them," he said.
The BJP could not come to power in Maharashtra despite emerging as the single largest party as "political arithmetic prevailed over merit”, Fadnavis said in the Assembly after a resolution was moved to congratulate him on being appointed the leader of opposition.
Appealing to the House to minimise farmers woes, Thackeray said, "The aim of this government is not only to waive farmers loans but we also need to reduce his worries as well."
NCP minister Jayant Patil also took a swipe at Fadnavis. "He (Fadnavis) said he would return, but didnt say where he will sit (in the House)," Patil said.
"Now he has returned and is occupying this top post (of Leader of Opposition) which is of the same level as CM post," Patil said.
The NCP leader expressed the hope that Fadnavis won't be part of any efforts to dislodge the Thackeray-led government of the Sena-NCP-Congress combine.
Though the Sena-BJP combine won a comfortable majority in the recent Assembly polls, the two parted ways following disagreement over the chief minister's post.
"It is poetic justice that those who wanted non-existence of the opposition will now have to work as an effective opposition," Speaker Nana Patole said after he was elected unopposed to the post.
With inputs from PTI
