Uddhav Thackeray Accuses Amit Shah of Secretly Planning to Eliminate Opposition, Calls for Open Statements
Mumbai, 30th September 2024: Uddhav Thackeray, leader of Shiv Sena (UBT) and former Maharashtra Chief Minister, criticized Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday. Thackeray alleged that Shah, during a private meeting, instructed BJP leaders to dismantle the Opposition and “stop” him and Sharad Pawar, president of NCP (SP), politically.
Thackeray asserted that the people of Maharashtra, not the ruling BJP, would determine his political future, and he challenged Shah to make his statements in front of the voters. These remarks came after the unveiling of a life-size statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Ramtek, eastern Maharashtra.
“Amit Shah, during his recent visit to Nagpur, held a closed-door meeting with BJP leaders, urging them to split the Opposition and politically stop me and Sharad Pawar. Why say these things behind closed doors? He should say this openly before the people,” Thackeray stated.
He also accused Shah of trying to politically eliminate both him and Pawar to allow the BJP to “loot Maharashtra,” adding that the BJP severed ties with the undivided Shiv Sena in 2014 before the assembly elections. “Despite that, the Sena managed to win 63 seats,” Thackeray noted.
He questioned whether RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat agreed with the BJP’s version of ‘Hindutva,’ which, according to Thackeray, involved breaking up other parties and poaching opposition leaders.
Thackeray emphasized that the upcoming state assembly elections are not just about power but are crucial to protect Maharashtra from being exploited. He urged voters to ensure a massive victory for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) by winning all six assembly segments in the Ramtek Lok Sabha constituency.
Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar mentioned that the MVA would finalize its seat-sharing arrangements within the next 8-10 days, considering the views of party workers regarding the “original aspirant” for each seat. Assembly elections across all 288 seats in Maharashtra are expected to take place by November 2024.
The elections will see a fierce contest between the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which comprises Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP). In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the MVA won 30 seats, while the Mahayuti managed to secure 17, with one seat going to an independent candidate.
