On the 60th Foundation Day of Shiv Sena (UBT), party chief Uddhav Thackeray made an emotional appeal, saying he was ready to step down from all party posts if anyone believed he should no longer lead the organisation.
Thackeray said the BJP and others were targeting him and Matoshree, and asserted that if anyone had the courage and capability to respond more effectively, he was willing to relinquish the party leadership.
“I have been the president of the party for a long time and am ready to leave it for anyone if you feel that the allegations against me are true. The person who wants to take over the party should be capable. The only condition is that that person should not be a traitor. The reason Sena was built by sweating and hard work cannot be given to anyone,” Thackeray said.
He also apologised to voters over the defection of some Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs.
Addressing party workers at the foundation day event, Thackeray said democracy was under threat because practices such as poaching opposition leaders were being celebrated rather than condemned, leaving people confused about what was right and wrong.
He said the Congress had never attempted to destroy Shiv Sena (UBT), whereas the BJP was doing so despite the Sena having helped the BJP establish itself in Maharashtra.
“In Maharashtra, we gave them a hand; otherwise, they were untouchable in the state. And today, the BJP wants to destroy it,” he said.
Thackeray warned that if such trends continued, India could move towards a “one nation, one party” system, undermining democracy.
“People are losing faith in democracy. The Gen Z are protesting against the ruling party and its faulty administrative system. The young people also fought for the country and got the independence, and the same young people are raising their voice,” he said.
Referring to the political situation, Thackeray said farmers struggled to secure the minimum support price for their produce, while legislators were allegedly being bought at fixed prices.
“This is the irony of democracy. If we today stop contesting the election, how many people would remain with me? The voters are cheated by giving false promises. The traitors will remain traitors. They would not be able to remove that traitor spot even though they spend huge money. History will remember them as traitors only,” he said.
Thackeray said Shiv Sainiks were not disheartened by recent setbacks but were more determined than ever to continue fighting for the party.
“Many people have stood with us for the last sixty years. Many troubles came and went, but Shiv Sena is here. In future also, there will be more challenges. But we are firm in our resolve to fight. Power comes and goes; Sena was not born for power. Sena has faced many hardships, including the Emergency, but it never bogged down,” he said.
Thackeray also referred to MPs who had rebelled against the party, saying they had justified their decision by claiming that Shiv Sena (UBT) would eventually merge with the Congress.
“How will I believe this? Today, BJP does not have its majority; therefore, they are poaching different party MPs to increase their numbers in Parliament. Today, BJP has more outsiders than their own MPs in Parliament,” he said.
Responding to criticism that he did not campaign enough across Maharashtra, Thackeray said such allegations were baseless.
“If I had not campaigned for these people, how did they get elected? Who got them elected? Today, politics has been adulterated by wrong people and malpractice. Sena has pure blood, but some people tried to spoil it through their bad acts. But Sena will continue to remain pure when this bad thing goes out,” he said, adding that the party had inherited a legacy from his father and grandfather.
Thackeray said Maharashtra was blessed with the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Phule, Shahu Maharaj and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.
“We adore these icons because of their greatness and their contributions. These icons also faced trouble. Stones and cow dung were pelted at Mahatma Phule and Savitribai Phule, and today they are revered by all. My grandfather also faced similar attacks, but he remained firm in his convictions. When people attacked the Thackeray family at that time, no one came to stop them. Today, they attack us and question us,” the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said.
