MUMBAI: A day after the Shiv Sena (UBT) took serious offence to NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar honouring Shiv Sena’s DCM Eknath Shinde, Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray met Congress’ Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi in Delhi late on Wednesday.
Aaditya said he will also meet AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal. While Aaditya said it was a courtesy visit, political observers said that a time when there is a rift within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) over Pawar felicitating Shinde, Aaditya’s meeting with Rahul gains significance.
Aaditya said that Shinde had betrayed the Sena and Maharashtra, and committed the sin of splitting Balasaheb Thackeray’s Sena and stealing its name and symbol. Aaditya said that Shinde has committed the sin of sending industries out from Maharashtra.
“I met Rahul Gandhi last night. Will meet Arvind Kejriwal. We do not know where our votes are going due to voter fraud and EVM fraud. We have to come together to remove this pretense that we are living in a democracy. What happened with Shiv Sena, AAP or Congress, tomorrow it may happen with Nitish Kumar in Bihar of the RJD, Chandrababu Naidu too. BJP will break every local party and form a BJP govt. Senior netas will prepare a roadmap for the INDIA bloc as the next strategy,” Aaditya said.
“There is a big question mark on whether there are free and fair elections in India. The entire process is not seeming free and fair. There is no difference between the BJP and EC now. I came to meet Rahul Gandhi as a courtesy call. Parties have different views on EVMs. The EC must clarify on key issues like paper trail, cross checking of VVPAT. There is a EVM govt in Maharashtra, but the govt is only going on with breaking parties. But after the splitting is done, they must fulfil the promises they made in the manifesto. Even now they are fighting over Guardian Ministership. No one is talking about people’s issues. They said they will give Rs 2100 in ladki bahin but they have not started transferring the money,” Aaditya said.
Shinde was on Tuesday honoured with the Mahadji Shinde Rashtra Gaurav Puraskar at the hands of Sharad Pawar and in the presence of Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on the occasion of the 98th Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan in New Delhi.
Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said giving such honour to those who have divided Maharashtra, those whom we consider enemies of Maharashtra, is a blow to the identity and self-respect of Maharashtra. Raut said it was Shinde who split the Shiv Sena with the help of Amit Shah, and felicitating Shinde was akin to honouring Amit Shah.
