Sena vs Sena: Dusshera rallies in Mumbai see Eknath Shinde, Uddhav Thackeray engage in war of words

The Dusshera rallies organised by the Shiv Sena factions on Tuesday witnessed a showdown between the leaders who traded barbs at each other over "power hunger".

Shiv Sena chief and Maharastra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, at his party's rally in Azad Maidan, took a swipe at Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, stating he back-stabbed Bal Thackeray by committing dishonesty with his ideological legacy. "You have buried the Hindutva ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray by going with Congress and Samajwadis for power. Balasaheb had given 'Garv se kaho hum Hindu hai' slogan from 'Shivtirth' (Shivaji Park ground) but slogans like 'Garv se kaho hum Congressi and Samajwadi hai' are being given from that venue," Shinde said.

Adding that he won't be surprised if they (Shiv Sena-UBT) ally with Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM and even "hug terrorist organisations such as Hamas, Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba for their selfish motives and chair (power)", Shinde said Uddhav Thackeray nurtured the ambition to become the CM since 2004 but things didn't work out.

"It was his (Uddhav's) wish to become the CM since 2004 but the 'jugaad' didn't work out. He pretended that he was never interested in the post. It was said publicly that he accepted the responsibility (after the 2019 assembly elections) on the advice of Sharad Pawar. But the fact is that two persons were sent to Pawar to recommend his (Uddhav's) name for the post," he said.

In a jibe at Uddhav, he said, "Those who claim to have blood relations with Balasaheb have suppressed his thoughts". Terming Uddhav Thackray and his son Aaditya as "one full, one half", Shinde said he won't be surprised if they merge their faction with Congress.

Uddhav, speaking at his party's annual Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai, hit out at Shinde for "attempts to steal the Shiv Sena." 

"The BJP or (its predecessor) Jana Sangh played no role in any struggle including that for the country's freedom, Marathwada liberation struggle or the Samyukta (united) Maharashtra movement, the former chief minister claimed. Attempts were being made to steal the Shiv Sena," he said.

He also promised to hit back at the rival Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde after the elections. "After we come to power, we will hang upside down those who are harassing us."

Attacking the BJP, Thackeray said his party's Hindutva was nationalism. Slamming the Shinde government over the lathi charge at Maratha protestors in Jalna last month, Thackeray said the Marathas were agitating for quota even when he was chief minister, but he never gave such orders." Who was the General Dyer' who ordered lathi-charge in Jalna?" he asked.

Shinde also hit out to Maharashtra assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar over the delay in disqualifying rebel MLAs of the Shiv Sena.

"If the speaker did not heed the Supreme Court's direction (to hear disqualification petitions expeditiously), the people would be watching if an apex court exists in the country or not," he said. 

Thackeray also dared the Shinde-led government to hold elections and let people decide whether the rebel MLAs were "qualified or disqualified".  Thackeray said he was proud of his family. ...a doctor's son becomes a doctor. We are preserving the legacy of our family... Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud is also preserving the legacy of his family," he said.

Targeting the Maharashtra government over the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project, he asked who will benefit from it. The high-speed train project was being executed "so that traitors can quickly flee to Gujarat, he quipped, and alleged that attempts were being made to "loot Mumbai." All good investments were being diverted from Maharashtra to Gujarat and other states, Thackeray claimed. 

Uddhav faction also burned the effigies of Ravan and a demon dubbed as 'khokasur', after Thackeray-led Sena has often accused the MLAs of the Shinde group of taking `khokas' (crores of rupees) to switch loyalties which led to the collapse of the Thackeray government in June last year.