Mocking the notion of a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the ruling BJP, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday launched a broadside on the BJP and PM Narendra Modi, remarking that the Enforcement Directorate, the Income Tax department and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) were the “only three strong parties” within the NDA today.
In a two-part interview podcast conducted by Mr. Thackeray’s confidante, Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, who is the executive editor of the party mouthpiece Saamana, Mr. Thackeray ticked-off the Narendra Modi-led Central government over the continuing violence in Manipur, alleging that PM Modi was not even ready to visit the northeastern State.
Remarking that the 2024 Lok Sabha election would be a turning point Mr. Thackeray contended that the BJP’s sudden realisation of that an NDA existed was proof of its desperation and fear of losing power. He said the recent meeting of NDA parties called by PM signalled the BJP’s desperation.
“All patriotic parties that have faith in our country and Constitution met in Bengaluru under the concept of ‘INDIA’ on July 17-18. The same day [July 18], PM Modi organised the meeting of 38 parties under the NDA banner. The BJP has suddenly realised there was some NDA. Actually, there are just three parties in the NDA – ED, CBI and Income Tax,” he said.
Mr. Thackeray said just prior to election, the BJP put out the idea of an NDA government, while after the results, it was merely a Modi-ruled government.
Interestingly, Mr. Thackeray lauded rebel NCP leader Ajit Pawar’s “efficiency” in handling the finance portfolio when the latter was Finance Minister during the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government headed by the Sena (UBT) chief.
“Ajit Pawar was with us for two-and-a-half years. During this period, he served as the Deputy Chief Minister and held the finance portfolio. Ajit Pawar is a man who works within a proper framework. He managed the administration and the finance portfolio well… I recently met him after he became the Deputy CM in the new government to see if he can do anything amid all this skullduggery perpetrated by the BJP,” said Mr. Thackeray.
Observing that Mr. Modi had accused Mr. Pawar of being involved in the multi-crore irrigation scam just days before his entry into the Eknath Shinde-led government in Maharashtra, Mr. Thackeray said: “Now that Ajit Pawar has been given the keys to the State’s treasury [finance portfolio], were those allegations made by the PM against him genuine?”
Mr. Thackeray’s ‘interview’ by Mr. Raut comes ahead of his birthday on July 27.
He reiterated that the Election Commission of India (EC) had no right to change his party’s name which was given by his grandfather Prabhodankar Thackeray.
Mr. Thackeray expressed confidence he would get back the original name ‘Shiv Sena’ as the Sena (UBT) has submitted all proof to the EC and that the case was now in the Supreme Court.
Chastising the BJP’s cynicism in engineering a split within the Shiv Sena, Mr. Thackeray, taking aim at Maharashtra BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, said the latter had remarked the move was done with the aim of teaching Mr. Thackeray a lesson as he had apparently betrayed the BJP by allying with the Congress and NCP in 2019 and formed the MVA government.
“They [Fadnavis and the BJP] claimed I stabbed them in the back. Fine…But, what about the split in NCP? There was no question of the NCP betraying the BJP as they were never in any alliance,” Mr. Thackeray said.
