We'll realise dream of Maharashtra: Uddhav Thackeray on reuniting with cousin Raj

India Today

a day ago

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, in a wide-ranging interview with Shiv Sena's mouthpiece, spoke extensively on the political developments in Maharashtra, but it was his remarks on reuniting with his cousin and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray that drew the sharpest spotlight.Coming together for the first time in two decades, the Thackeray cousins' announcement stirred both political circles and public sentiment.advertisementAsked about the possibility of a broader political alliance with Raj Thackeray, Uddhav responded, "Who has a problem with us coming together? They should take care of their own problems. Why should we think about it?" He added that their reunion had brought joy not just to Marathi people, but also to other communities.
"Even our Muslim brothers were happy, openly expressing it. Gujarati and Hindi-speaking citizens said, 'Achcha kiya aapne.' If someone has a stomachache, it's their stomachache. I ignore that."When asked whether this show of unity would extend into political coordination, Uddhav said, "We have come together after 20 years. This is not even a little - this is very big. Our appearance together is more important than our speech today."He emphasised that politics was not the immediate priority, asserting, "I am ready to do whatever is needed for the Marathi language, for the religion of Maharashtra, for the Marathi people."Responding to queries on the Mahavikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance and local elections, Uddhav said discussions were ongoing. He mentioned that the Congress may take local-level decisions and if that happens, his party will respond accordingly.On whether coming together with MNS could affect MVA dynamics, he clarified, "Mumbai is not politically separate from Maharashtra. It is the capital. Every municipal corporation has autonomy. Each unit will do what is politically right."PAHALGAM ATTACK, ARTICLE 370 AND MOREIn the course of the interview, Thackeray also made sharp criticisms of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government's handling of national security, particularly in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 26 civilians died.Calling it a "failure of the government," he questioned, "How could this attack have happened in the first place? We were constantly being told that the situation in Kashmir has been restored."He recalled how the Shiv Sena had supported the removal of Article 370 and the revival of tourism in Kashmir, but pointed out glaring lapses in security."Tourists who had gone there believing that they could spend joyful moments with their families were suddenly fired upon. The area where the incident took place is far from the border. How did terrorists get so far inside?"advertisementEven months after the incident, Thackeray said, there was no trace of the attackers. "The first pictures of these terrorists were published, later it was said those pictures were incorrect. They came, killed our people, and left. Where did they go?"He also raised questions over the withdrawal of 'Operation Sindoor', asking the Modi government to clarify under whose pressure the mission was halted."The kunku of 26 sisters was wiped and the terrorists disappeared. Tell the country under whose pressure 'Operation Sindoor' was withdrawn," he demanded.Thackeray slammed what he described as the politicisation of military operations, alleging that international pressure-especially from US President Donald Trump - played a decisive role in forcing a retreat.His remarks follow repeated claims by Trump that he compelled both India and Pakistan into a ceasefire by leveraging trade threats. "Trump has said 27 times that he stopped the war between India and Pakistan. And our brave Prime Minister is silent," he said, questioning, "Why did the war stop? Whose trade was at stake?"He further accused the government of prioritising trade over national security and the lives of soldiers. "You're playing diplomacy with the US President while soldiers are dying here... and your children are partying in Dubai with Pakistanis. The country has become subordinate to trade," he said.advertisementON HINDI IMPOSITION ROWSpeaking about the imposition of Hindi in Maharashtra, Uddhav reiterated the Marathi identity of the state. "The unity of Marathi people is unbreakable. The BJP is trying to set Maharashtra on fire on the pretext of Hindi compulsion, but that will not happen. We do not hate any language, but Marathi people will not tolerate any language compulsion," he said.He recalled how Balasaheb Thackeray always promoted multilingualism without linguistic domination. "Learn as many languages as you want, but don't force anyone," he said, stressing that Marathi pride cannot be compromised. "We have no objection to Hanuman Chalisa, but why are we made to forget our Maruti Stotra?"Thackeray also addressed issues like land acquisition and alleged misuse of the Public Safety Act. He accused the government of protecting corporate interests by silencing those who resist. "If you stand against Adani, remember this. This is the law. You will go to jail for endangering public safety," he said.Concluding the interview, Uddhav Thackeray said that as Chief Minister and during his tenure in Mumbai's municipal corporation, he had never discriminated based on religion or language."I am a Hindutva supporter, but did I treat Muslims differently during the pandemic? We gave water to every household. Maharashtra, Marathi, Maharashtra Dharma does not mean hatred of any state or language," he said.- EndsMust Watch