Sounding the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction’s) poll bugle for the coming civic polls across Maharashtra, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday lashed out at Sena president Uddhav Thackeray by alleging that the latter had not only deceived his father — the late Sena founder Bal Thackeray — by allying with the Congress, but was responsible for the dwindling Marathi-speaking population in Mumbai city.
Addressing a massive rally in Paithan in Aurangabad district, Mr. Shinde, whose rebel Sena faction is in alliance with the BJP, demanded that Mr. Thackeray, the former Chief Minister, explain to the people of the State why had the Marathi-speaking population moved out of Mumbai.
“If they [Uddhav camp] are so concerned about Mumbai, then why don’t you [Mr. Thackeray] publish how many Marathi-speaking people are left in Mumbai? Have you bothered to analyse why have they been thrown out of Mumbai and have been forced to move to suburbs like Virar and Badlapur? They need to do an analysis of this through Saamana [Thackeray faction’s mouthpiece], but they will not have the courage to do so,” Mr. Shinde said.
