Fadnavis borrows popular phrase, rolls out old clips of Uddhav-Raj sparring, asks if Marathi pride was really unsafe after 25 years of Thackeray rule
(From left) Union Minister of State and RPI (A) chief Ramdas Athawale, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde address a Mahayuti rally at Shivaji Park on Monday. Pic/Ashish Raje
A day after the Thackeray cousins mounted a joint offensive against the ruling alliance from Shivaji Park, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde returned to the same venue on Monday with a counterattack built on the past, playing video clips of Uddhav and Raj Thackeray publicly attacking each other to question the credibility of their sudden unity and their claim that Marathi identity is under threat.
Setting the tone for the rally, Fadnavis said he was “borrowing” the popular phrase ‘Lav re toh video’ before playing a series of short clips in which Uddhav and Raj Thackeray were seen criticising each other in the past over Hindutva, family politics, civic governance, corruption, and leadership style. After the clips were screened, Fadnavis asked the audience, “Do we really need to say anything more in response to these people?”
Targeting the Thackeray cousins for repeatedly calling the upcoming civic polls the “last election for Marathi people,” Fadnavis questioned their track record. “If Marathi identity still feels insecure after 25 years of their rule, then what exactly have they done for the community?” he asked.
He asserted that Marathi identity was never under threat and never would be. “This narrative exists only because their politics is under threat. They are using Marathi pride as a shield to protect themselves,” the chief minister said.
Referring to Aaditya Thackeray allegedly imitating him, Fadnavis said sarcastically, “I don’t mind people trying to copy me. But they should remember what happened to Raj Thackeray’s party, which kept mimicking others.” MNS has suffered repeated electoral setbacks and was now struggling for political relevance.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also directly targeted the Thackeray cousins, accusing them of putting personal interests above public welfare. “Our government follows a Mumbai-first policy, while the opposition follows a corruption-first approach,” Shinde said.
Shinde alleged that the earlier split between Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, and their current reunion, were both driven by political convenience rather than concern for Marathi people. “Their coming together has nothing to do with Marathi pride or community welfare,” he claimed.
He further accused the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the MNS of creating a false narrative that Marathi identity was under threat. “Marathi was never in danger and will never be in danger. It is their politics that is under threat,” Shinde said, adding that the Marathi manoos stood firmly with the ruling alliance.
Responding to the Thackeray cousins’ repeated attacks on the Adani Group, Shinde alleged double standards. “They criticise the same businessman with whom they have held closed-door meetings. What kind of politics is this?” he asked.
Fadnavis and Shinde were addressing a joint rally of the ruling alliance as campaigning entered its final phase ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections. Polling for Mumbai’s 227 wards and 28 other municipal corporations will be held on January 15, with counting scheduled the following day.
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