Mumbai, Oct 20 (IANS) Shiv Sena (UBT) chief and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the ruling state and central leadership during the party’s annual Dussehra rally held at the historic Shivaji Park in Dadar.
Addressing a massive gathering of supporters on Vijayadashami, Thackeray targeted Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, while also addressing pressing state issues like drought and public safety.
Mocking the law and order situation in Maharashtra, Thackeray drew attention to a recent attack on actor Tiger Shroff. He criticised the Chief Minister, whom he dubbed as “Chamko” (showman), for rushing to meet the actor immediately after the incident.
“An attack took place on actor Tiger Shroff, and this ‘Chamko’ rushed to meet him right away. The police caught the culprits, but should we praise them for that or what? It was Tiger Shroff’s good fortune that he survived. However, what use would it be if the bullet had hit him fatally and the police caught the thugs later? What kind of a government are you running? It is infuriating that these people have left the police to handle everything else while they only focus on washing their own linen,” Thackeray remarked.
Questioning the efficiency of the police machinery, he further asked why routine security checks failed to stop outsiders.
“Whenever anything minor happens on our side, we are immediately summoned to the police station. Didn’t these police officers spot the attackers who targeted Tiger Shroff? Were your noses blocked with cotton plugs during the blockade (nakabandi)? How did those goons manage to enter?”
Targeting the state government’s recent affidavit in the High Court—wherein it was reportedly claimed that Maharashtra has become a hub for “urban Naxals”—Thackeray counter-questioned where exactly urban Naxalism existed in the state’s cities. He asserted that criminals were infiltrating from states like Uttar Pradesh instead.
Shifting his focus to jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and issuing a direct challenge to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Thackeray said, “Sitting far away in Sabarmati jail is Lawrence Bishnoi, whose goons claim they have 70,000 shooters. Devendra Fadnavis-ji, if you truly have any courage, go to Sabarmati, drag Lawrence Bishnoi out right in front of your ‘boss’ sitting in Delhi, and then talk big!”
Targeting the government over ongoing nationwide protests and widespread youth unrest, Thackeray predicted that the ruling establishment would soon face political retribution for ruining the country’s economy.
During his speech, Thackeray made specific references to Abhijit Dipke, the founder of CJP, mentioning him twice. Praising Dipke for making life difficult for those in power, Thackeray recalled visiting the site of the CJP’s maiden protest to meet Dipke and young demonstrators.
Recalling the intensity of the agitation, Thackeray said, “I went to meet Abhijit Dipke and the young protesters during that first protest. Someone’s head was injured, there were visible welts and marks on bodies, and a girl’s clothes were torn. Looking at their wounds, I told them to go home. But they responded, ‘Even if we die, we will not back down now.’ Modi ji and Amit Shah, this is the accumulated wrath of 12 years. You have tortured the country for 12 years.”
Condemning the government’s crackdown on dissent, Thackeray asserted that the youth demonstrating on the streets and at Jantar Mantar are revolutionaries, not Naxals, despite being labelled as “urban Naxals” by critics.
Highlighting the gravity of the public discontent, Thackeray noted that the protests saw participation from middle-class families, with parents joining hands with their children.
“The children protesting at Jantar Mantar belong to good families. I met a small girl there, very young, along with her parents. Parents stepped out onto the streets with their children for this youth movement. They were reviled and labelled as ‘ideological Naxals’ (Dimagi Naxal), but these protesters are not Naxals—they are revolutionaries,” Thackeray declared.
Concluding his address, Thackeray blamed the ruling alliance for destroying the financial stability of the common people, warning them that they will inevitably have to face the consequences of their actions.
–IANS
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