Charging that rebel Shiv Sena MLAs led by current Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had "colluded" to with the BJP to “finish” his party, Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday dared the Shinde faction MLAs to contest the forthcoming polls without invoking the name of late Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray.
Interacting with the people across the state on Facebook live a day after the Election froze the Shiv Sena’s party “bow and arrow” party symbol, Uddhav singled out the rebel Sena MLAs who joined Shinde in rebelling against his leadership for an attack, and questioned their motive behind joined hands with the current chief minister and the BJP to “finish” the “orginal” Shiv Sena.
In his interaction that came hours after his party party suggested three options of a trident, rising sun or mashaal (burning torch) as its poll symbol for the Andheri East Assembly by-poll scheduled on November 3, Uddhav said: “What do these gaddar (traitor) Shiv Sena MLAs want to achieve? With the help of the BJP, the rebel MLAs are out to finish the Shiv Sena that brought them to a state what they are today. You (Shinde) did not want me -- being the son of late Balasaheb Thackeray -- to continue as the chief minister, you sought the help of the BJP and got me removed from the post. Till that point, it was alright. Now he wants to become the president of the Shiv Sena. This is too much”.
“Today I dare all these gaddar (traitor) MLAs to contest the forthcoming elections without taking the name of late Balasaheb Thackeray and get elected,” Uddhav said.
Accusing Shinde of trying to “doing things against the Shiv Sena that even former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi did not do even during the Emergency period”, Uddhav said: “You (Shinde) are attempting to do things that even Indira Gandhi did not do during Emergency. At that time, a proposal was made to Indira Gandhi to ban the Shiv Sena. But she did not ban the Shiv Sena. Even at that the Shiv Sainiks were being harassed and many party were externed from their cities of residence. But , at no point in time, the then ruling Congress tried to finish the Shiv Sena”.
“You accuse me of giving up the Hindutva cause. But you people are sitting in the lap of the BJP that is out to finish the Shiv Sena. Tell me who is the sinner –the Congress or the BJP?,” Uddhav asked.