Mumbai: Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray has sprang a surprise saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not his enemy. Thackeray said he has no ill feelings about the PM and wondered why the BJP considers him as their enemy.
Addressing a rally in Sawantwadi in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district, the former CM said that his side was never the ‘enemies’ of the saffron party. “Even today, we are not your enemy. It was you (Modi), who decided to snap ties with the Shiv Sena,” he added.
Ever since the fall of this Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, Thackeray has always been critical of Modi. Last month, he had accused the PM of trying to finish off his party. However, the Sena chief said that they were not enemies.
“I want to tell Modiji that we were never your enemy. Even today, we are not enemies. We were with you. The Shiv Sena was with you. We campaigned for our alliance last time. You became Prime Minister because our MPs like Vinayak Raut were elected. But later you distanced us from yourself,” said Thackeray.
Even today, we haven't left Hindutva. We can’t do that. Today also, the saffron flag is with us. But today, the BJP is trying to tear that saffron flag, he added.
The Sena chief accused the PM of misusing the central probe agencies to split the opposition parties. “If you would have done something for the country, then you wouldn’t have needed to split other political parties. All central agencies such as the ED (Enforcement Directorate), CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) and police are working for it. Please move around the country like us and you will understand,” he added.
The former Chief Minister said that he was not opposed to any individual but was against lies and dictatorship. Thackeray added that India does not need a government with an absolute majority but a regime of the INDIA bloc will take everyone along.
Commenting on Thackeray’s remarks on Modi, senior BJP leader and state minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said it was a welcome change in the Shiv Sena UBT leader, but the relationship was strained because of Thackeray’s decision (to break ties with the BJP) in 2019.
