As BMC Polls Loom, Thackerays Accuse BJP Of Bid To Break Mumbai
“Some people are dreaming of breaking Mumbai away from Maharashtra. This dream must be crushed”: Raj Thackeray
MUMBAI: After making an alliance, the Thackeray brothers have intensified their criticism of the BJP leadership. MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Monday made a veiled attack on the BJP saying some people harbour the dream of breaking Mumbai from Maharashtra. His comments a day came after Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray alleged Mumbai will be swallowed by two Gujaratis.
Addressing party workers, Raj Thackeray claimed that forces were at work to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra and said such attempts must be defeated. “Some people are dreaming of breaking Mumbai away from Maharashtra. This dream must be crushed,” he said.
Raj Thackeray also accused the BJP of attempting to ‘grab everything using EVMs.’ Without naming the saffron party directly, Thackeray said his opponents were banking on the face of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and electronic voting machines to consolidate power. |They have Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s face and the EVM, and they are trying to grab everything using it. These people are not on their own. They have been placed by someone else,” he said.
Raj Thackeray warned that the upcoming civic polls were crucial for the future of Mumbai and the rights of the Marathi Manoos. “Mumbai belongs to ‘Marathi manoos’ and Maharashtra. This election is very crucial for the ‘Marathi manoos’. No fight is bigger than Maharashtra,” he added.
His comments came a day after Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said that Mumbai faces the threat of “being swallowed by two Gujaratis.” While he did not name anyone, his criticism was reportedly aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah.
Speaking on Sunday, Uddhav had said, “We gained Mumbai through the sacrifices of martyrs, but right before our eyes, it is about to be swallowed up by two Gujarati individuals. If we prioritise our personal ambitions and engage in infighting, others will take advantage of this division.”
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls will be held on January 15. The last date to file nomination is December 30. Votes will be counted on January 16.
