Mumbai: Hinting that the Sena (UBT) could fight the local body polls alone, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday said: “I met many party workers and they all asked me to fight the local body polls alone. The dates have not been announced yet. If I’m sure that your preparations are done and if you show that you have the strength to show Amit Shah his place, then I will take a decision that the workers want. You must now prepare with a vengeance.”
Speaking at his first public rally in Andheri to mark the late Bal Thackeray‘s birth anniversary after the assembly elections where the party received a massive drubbing, Uddhav hit back at Union home minister Amit Shah over his comments that the victory in Maharashtra assembly polls showed him — who betrayed BJP, abandoned the ideology of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, and became chief minister — his place, saying “You [Shah] will see in the future what a wounded tiger is and how its claws are.”
Uddhav stated that he was not convinced by the election results announced two months ago. He dared the BJP to have one election without EVMs, on ballot paper. “Everyone (workers) says fight alone. Do you have that strength? Are you going to show strength to Amit Shah and show him his place? Elections have not been announced yet. Let me see your determination, let me see your preparation. When I’m sure that you are prepared, I will make a decision according to the workers’ wants.”
The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Thursday demanded the Bharat Ratna for Shiv Sena founder late Bal Thackeray.
Speaking on the occasion of the late leader’s 99th birth anniversary, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said the BJP-led government has in the last 10 years conferred the country’s highest civilian honour on some persons who did not deserve it. “But the man who truly sowed the seeds of Hindutva in the country must also be given the Bharat Ratna. Why has he not been given Bharat Ratna? ‘Hindu-hriday Samrat’ Bal Thackeray must be honoured with the award. This is Shiv Sena (UBT)’s demand,” he said.
“Before the centenary starts, it is necessary that he gets the Bharat Ratna. You could not give the Bharat Ratna to Veer Savarkar. If you give Bharat Ratna to Balasaheb, it will also be an honour for Veer Savarkar,” the Rajya Sabha member further said. His party colleague and Mumbai South MP Arvind Sawant also made the same demand, saying that Thackeray showed the country what “Hindutva ideals” are. (With PTI inputs)
