Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray expressed his reaction to the recent split in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) during a function at Nehru Centre. Without directly naming Ajit Pawar, Thackeray stated, Nowadays, instead of creating something on their own, people are stealing the identity of the leaders who made them.
Thackeray criticized the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for their alleged attempt to gain full control of the country. He condemned the practice of claiming control of a party by splitting it, referring to it as a detrimental political strategy.
Continuing his critique, Thackeray also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government, comparing the current situation in the country to an undeclared emergency. He highlighted the contrast between the official Emergency in 1975 and the present state of affairs.
The function, attended by four former chief ministers of the state, aimed to release a biography titled ‘Jawahar,’ based on the life of freedom fighter and former minister Jawaharlal Darda. Former chief ministers Prithviraj Chavan, Ashok Chavan, and Sushil Kumar Shinde were also present at the event.
Thackeray expressed his concern about the lack of human connection in contemporary politics. He emphasized the sacrifices made by freedom fighters like Darda, stating that they fought for a free and independent nation. However, he criticized the current political scenario, where a party that did not participate in the freedom struggle is ruling the nation and seeking complete control.
He also remarked on the current limitations on freedom of speech, stating that during the emergency period, people were free to speak out against the ruling Congress party. Thackeray mentioned how writers held rallies to express their opinions without any hindrance. However, he claimed that nowadays, if someone speaks against the government, the ruling party ensures that their voice is suppressed.
Thackeray further addressed the ongoing probe by the Enforcement Directorate into the alleged Jumbo Covid scam and the investigation by the special investigating team (SIT) of the Mumbai police into irregularities in the expenditure of nine departments of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), amounting to ₹12,024 crore.
Challenging the central government, Thackeray demanded an inquiry into the handling of the Covid pandemic and expenditure by all states, in addition to the investigation into BMC’s spending. He applauded Mumbai’s efforts in controlling the Covid situation, urging the ruling party to appreciate the BMC’s work instead of defaming the city.
During the event, former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan drew a comparison between politics during the time of Jawaharlal Darda and the present scenario. He likened past politics to a cricket Test match, while indicating that contemporary politics has become more akin to a fast-paced T20 match, where unpredictable events constantly unfold.
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