Uddhav Thackeray Hits Back at Amit Shah’s Jibes

In a lively political rally in Pune, Uddhav Thackeray, the chief of Shiv Sena (UBT) and former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, took aim at Union Home Minister Amit Shah. This comes just days after Shah labelled Thackeray as a leader of the ‘Aurangzeb fan club’.

Thackeray didn’t hold back, calling Amit Shah a political descendant of Ahmad Shah Abdali, the 18th-century Afghan ruler known for defeating the Marathas in the historic third battle of Panipat. With a sharp tone, he challenged Shah’s right to comment on Hindutva, saying, “Those who went to Pakistan to eat the birthday cake of its Prime Minister should not teach us what Hindutva is.”

During the ‘Shiv Sankalp’ rally, Thackeray further expressed his disdain at being associated with Aurangzeb. He quipped that if Shah could label him thus, he too could call Shah ‘Ahmad Shah Abdali’. It was clear that Thackeray was eager to counter Shah’s narrative.

Shah previously described the Maha Vikas Aghadi as an ‘Aurangzeb fan club’, claiming that Uddhav Thackeray was leading a group that was detrimental to India’s security. He accused Thackeray of associating with individuals linked to the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, stirring the political pot even further.

Thackeray countered these accusations by accusing the BJP of engaging in what he called “power jihad” — a term he used to describe how the BJP supposedly breaks apart political parties to establish new governments. He emphasized the importance of the citizens of Maharashtra, implying they had already shown Shah a lesson in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

As the upcoming assembly elections approach, Thackeray’s rally was also a call for accountability from Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding what he termed the “misrule of his government.” He highlighted concerns regarding the newly constructed Parliament building, which reportedly suffered water leakage just a year post its inauguration.

Thackeray expressed a strong desire to win the forthcoming assembly elections, emphasizing his commitment to Pune’s development. He mocked the current political scenario, referencing Ajit Pawar as a ‘subedar’ who was allegedly pulling the strings.

Finally, Thackeray mentioned that the Shiv Sena is currently fighting for its name and symbol in the Supreme Court, hoping to secure justice after what he described as a long wait.