MUMBAI: “We have come together to stay together,” said Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray as he shared the stage with his cousin and Maharashtra Mavnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray in Mumbai’s Worli Dome on Saturday.
Uddhav Thackeray was speaking at a joint rally held by his faction of Shiv Sena and Raj’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) after the Maharashtra government scrapped two government resolutions (GRs) to introduce Hindi as the third language.
“Since we announced about this program, everyone was eagerly waiting for our speech today, but in my view, we both coming together, and this stage was more important than our speeches. Raj Thackeray has already given a very outstanding speech, and I think there is no need for me to speak now,” he said, amid talks of their political alliance
The two brothers parted ways nearly two decades ago when Shiv Sena founder Babasaheb Thackeray was alive. Raj quit Shiv Sena and formed his own party after Balasaheb Thackeray made Uddhav his successor.
Uddhav, however, cautioned against drifitng towards “personal interests” once the challenging time passes.
“Our strength is in our unity, whenever some challenging time comes, we all come together, but we all have experienced that when the challenging time passes, we all go for our personal interests, which should not happen this time…,” he said.
Launching a scathing attack on the BJP, the Shiv Sena (UBT) stated that without the support of his father Balasaheb Thackeray, no one knew the saffron party in the state.
“You (BJP) have used us enough already. If you didn’t have the support of Balasaheb Thackeray, who knew you in Maharashtra. Who are you to teach us about Hindutva? When riots were happening in Mumbai, then we Marathi people had saved every Hindu in Maharashtra, be it anyone. If you are calling Marathi people ‘gundas’ doing their protest, seeking justice. Then yes, we are ‘gunda’,” he said.
He also called the BJP flag a “piece of cloth used to clean utensils”.
“When the BJP says that they want one Constitution, one Symbol and 1 Prime Minister, then they should remember that one symbol is the tricolour and not the BJP’s flag, which is only a piece of cloth used to clean utensils,” Uddhav said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray’s son and party leader Aaditya Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray’s Amit Thackeray also shared a hug at the rally.
Agencies
We‘ve come together to stay together: Uddhav at joint rally with cousin Raj Thackeray
