In a veiled warning to Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday said there will be an "earthquake" if he started speaking.
Questioning Mr. Thackeray's decision to join hands with the NCP and Congress, Mr. Shinde also said he knew what happened to late Sena leader Anand Dighe.
“I was witness to what happened with ‘Dharmaveer’,” said Mr. Shinde, referring to Dighe, a fiery Shiv Sena leader and his mentor who died following a road accident in 2002.
Thackeray, who resigned as chief minister in June after Mr. Shinde rebelled against him alongwith majority of Shiv Sena MLAs, have often dubbed the rebels as "traitors." Speaking at a rally at Malegaon, Mr. Shinde said he rebelled as he wanted to "protect Balasaheb Thackeray's legacy." "There will be an earthquake if I start giving interviews.... Unlike some people, I never travelled abroad every year for holidays. Shiv Sena and its growth were the only things on my mind," he said.
The late Shiv Sena founder's daughter-in-law Smita Thackeray and his eldest grandson Nihar Thackeray have supported him, Mr. Shinde noted.
Without naming Mr. Uddhav, he said rebel legislators were being being called traitors. "What do you call those who compromise with Balasaheb's ideology just to become chief minister?" he asked.
"You fight elections in alliance with BJP and then form government with Congress and NCP to become chief minister. Isn't this a betrayal," Mr. Shinde further asked.
The Sena faction led by him and BJP would together win 200 out of 288 seats in the next Assembly elections, he claimed.
