11 March,2026 12:53 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey on Wednesday launched a sharp political attack on Shiv Sena (UBT) for aligning with the Congress as part of the opposition INDIA bloc, citing what he described as a 1969 parliamentary document referring to an alleged conspiracy to assassinate Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray.
Dubey shared the document on social media platform X and questioned the political stance of the faction led by Uddhav Thackeray, arguing that Bal Thackeray had historically taken a strong position against the Congress.
In his post, Dubey claimed that a conspiracy had been hatched in 1969 to assassinate Bal Thackeray and that questions were raised in Parliament at the time about cancelling his revolver licence.
"Shiv Sena (UBT), have some shame. The conspiracy to assassinate Balasaheb Thackeray ji was hatched in 1969; questions were raised in Parliament to cancel his revolver licence," Dubey wrote.
He further alleged that after learning about the alleged conspiracy, Bal Thackeray had vowed never to align with the Congress during his lifetime.
"For the sake of power, ideology has been sacrificed," Dubey added in his post, criticising the political alignment of the present-day Shiv Sena (UBT).
Dubey also tagged Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray in his message, highlighting the ongoing political divide within the Shiv Sena.
The party split in 2022, with one faction led by Shinde aligning with the BJP while the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction remained part of the opposition alliance.
The BJP leader's remarks come amid heightened political activity ahead of the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in March 2026.
On March 2, the Shiv Sena (UBT) confirmed that it was coordinating with the Indian National Congress as part of the opposition's broader electoral strategy within the INDIA bloc.
The alliance between the Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party was first formed in 2019 to establish the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra.
The partnership marked a significant shift in Maharashtra's political landscape, bringing together parties that had historically been political rivals.
The political debate has revived references to the alleged 1969 conspiracy against Bal Thackeray, a claim that has been mentioned in political discussions involving the Shiv Sena and BJP over the years.
According to such claims, tensions in the late 1960s between the Shiv Sena and Left-wing groups led to allegations of a plot against the Sena founder at a time when the party was rapidly emerging as a force in Maharashtra politics.
During that period, the Shiv Sena gained prominence through its "sons of the soil" movement, which emphasised employment opportunities for Marathi-speaking locals and raised issues such as the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute.
Bal Thackeray had frequently criticised the Congress and had publicly ruled out any alliance with the party during his lifetime.
He had once remarked that if circumstances ever forced him to join hands with the Congress, he would rather "close his shop," referring metaphorically to shutting down the Shiv Sena.
His political ideology emphasised Hindutva and regional identity, which he believed stood in opposition to the Congress' political approach.
Bal Thackeray was also known for his strong criticism of veteran leader Sharad Pawar, whom he had sharply attacked in several public statements over the years.
The historical stance taken by Bal Thackeray has often been invoked in contemporary political debates in Maharashtra.
Opponents of the Shiv Sena (UBT), particularly the BJP, have repeatedly described its alliance with the Congress as a departure from Bal Thackeray's ideological legacy.
However, the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction has defended its alliance as a political necessity formed to counter the BJP and maintain a broader opposition front.
The debate over Bal Thackeray's legacy continues to shape political narratives in Maharashtra, especially as rival factions of the Shiv Sena seek to claim his ideological and organisational inheritance.
(With inputs from IANS)
