MUMBAI: Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the most corrupt party in India today and that all opportunists are joining the BJP as a safe haven away from their corruption cases. He was addressing a mammoth crowd at Khed in Konkan.
This was Uddhav Thackeray's first public rally at Khed after losing the Shiv Sena (founded by his father Balasaheb Thackeray) and its traditional symbol – the bow and arrow.
Incidentally, Khed is represented by former Shiv Sena minister Ramdas Kadan’s son Yogesh Kadam who is part of the Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Uddhav Thackeray while attacking the BJP claimed that earlier, saints used to sit on the BJP’s stage but now it is full of corrupt leaders and opportunists. He said that during campaigning for the recently concluded Meghalaya elections, BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had called Chief Minister Conrad Sangma corrupt and had asked people not to vote for him.
Thackeray went on to add, “But after the elections, the BJP cemented an alliance with Mr Sangma and supported his bid to remain chief minister of Meghalaya. Even Prime minister Narendra Modi tweeted that Conrad's father late PA Sangma must be happy with this new alliance." This is the BJP today, which alleges you are corrupt in elections but then sits with the same people in power, Thackeray said.
Uddhav Thackeray also said that all the central agencies and even the Election Commission of India
(ECI) are like slaves in the hands of the BJP’s leadership.
Stating that democracy is in danger, Uddhav Thackery said, “The 2024 Lok Sabha elections will be the last elections in India if the BJP is not thrown out of power. After that, there will be no elections and people will not be allowed to cast their votes as well. All democratic things will end, so people have to decide what to do and protect the democracy in India."
Talking about the ECI's order, Thackery said he did not believe in it. The apex poll body had granted Shiv Sena’s name and 'Bow and Arrow' symbol to Eknath Shinde's faction.
“We had appealed against the ECI's order in the Supreme Court. How much will the BJP and 'plunder gang' (referring to Eknath Shinde) steal? Earlier, they stole the party founded by my father and its symbol and they also want to use his photograph to garner votes. I dare them to use their father and PM Narendra Modi’s photo.. why do they want to use my father's name and photo,” Uddhav Thackeray asked.
The former chief minister also spoke of businesses being shifted to adjoining states. “Maharashtra has been deprived of the big investment. Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde is more in Delhi than in Maharashtra. He has succumbed to the power of Delhi which was not the case earlier. I worked hard during the pandemic therefore the work of the Maharashtra government was appreciated worldwide but where are we headed today? No jobs, no industry... even the adjoining state of Karnataka has been threatening us and claiming rights over our region,” said Thackeray.