Bal Thackeray did not use Hindutva to break parties, says Aaditya

Mumbai: Bal Thackeray did not use Hindutva to break other parties, his grandson and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said on Saturday in an attack on former ally BJP.

Addressing party workers in central Mumbai, Thackeray said his party colleagues were being targeted by investigating agencies as the Shiv Sena (UBT) had held a press conference to highlight what he said was a wrong order by Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar in the case pertaining to disqualification of MLAs.

Post the split in the Shiv Sena in June 2022 following a rebellion by Eknath Shinde, who went on to become chief minister, both factions had petitioned the speaker seeking disqualification of MLAs from the other side under anti-defection laws.

Narwekar, in his order, held that Shinde's faction was the real Shiv Sena and did not disqualify any MLA from either camp.

"Ravindra Waikar, Kishore Pednekar, and Rajan Salvi are being hounded by probe agencies and are being given threats so that they join the Eknath Shinde group. These leaders have nothing to hide and, hence, have remained loyal (to Uddhav Thackeray)," he claimed.

He asked his party workers to ensure not a single "traitor", a term he often uses for those in the Shinde camp, wins Lok Sabha, Assembly or even civic polls.

"When my opponents target me, I feel energised because I know my criticism has hit them and that I am on the right path. My grandfather (Shiv Sena founder late Bal Thackeray) never used Hindutva to indulge in politics, corruption or to break parties," he asserted.

Attacking Narwekar, he said the order that Shinde's faction was the real Shiv Sena was bogus.

The order was written as per the "BJP's constitution and not Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution", Thackeray claimed.

"I dare the speaker to file a contempt case against me or hang me. This political fight is long and is important in order to save democracy," he added.

Democracy is over in Maharashtra and industries were moving to neighbouring Gujarat, Thackeray alleged.

He also accused Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner IS Chahal of corruption and said he would be sent to jail when his party comes back to power in the Assembly polls later this year.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) is part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi along with the Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party.