
‘Even Muslims are happy after Raj Thackeray and I were seen together': Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray
Uddhav Thackeray's reaction came during an interview with Saamana editor and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut. The second part of the interview was published by the Sena (UBT) mouthpiece on Sunday.
'As both of us have come together, who's got the problem? If they have a problem, they should sort it out on their end. Why should we think about it?
'Gujarati people and those from the Hindi belt also said, 'Achcha kiya aapne (You did the right thing).' If anyone is finding it difficult to digest, then I am not paying attention to it,' Uddhav Thackeray said when asked about joining hands with Raj Thackeray after 20 years.
Speaking about the 'victory rally' jointly organised by the MNS and the Shiv Sena (UBT) earlier this month in the wake of the state government withdrawing the order making Hindi the compulsory third language in Maharashtra schools, Uddhav Thackeray said, 'The rally was not about Maharashtra versus other states. Even people from other states have appreciated our coming together. They have urged us to keep fighting in this manner.'
Meanwhile, urging Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to take action against 'errant' ministers, the Sena (UBT) chief said, 'Whether we agree or not, he is the chief minister. We expect good things will happen from him. We expect him to take strong action against his errant ministers. One after another, the ministers are found doing things that reflect badly on the government. It is affecting the image of the chief minister…'
In 2005, Raj Thackeray quit the undivided Shiv Sena, a party founded by his uncle Bal Thackeray, after reportedly feeling sidelined. Thereafter, he launched the MNS in March 2006.

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Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Sonia Gandhi questions PM Modi's ‘shameful silence on Gaza genocide', urges him to ‘uphold India's values'
Congress parliamentary party leader Sonia Gandhi has asserted that India must take a 'clear and bold' stance in favour of the people of Gaza, she accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of adopting a "shameful silence" on Israel's military action in the Palestinian territory. Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has written an article in a Hindi daily.(PTI File) She described Israel's actions as 'barbaric' and a 'genocide'. The PM's lack of clear stance for Gaza is "a cowardly betrayal of our constitutional values", she argued in an article published in the Hindi newspaper Dainik Jagran on Monday, July 28. Also read | Push for two-state solution at UN meet as war in Gaza rages on In 1974, under the leadership of Indira Gandhi, India became the first non-Arab country to recognise the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) as the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. In 1988, India was among the first countries to officially recognise the State of Palestine, she noted. The Global South is once again looking to India for leadership, Gandhi said. The Rajya Sabha member urged Modi, thus, to speak out "clearly, boldly and forthrightly" on behalf of the legacy that India has long represented. Also read | France moves to recognise State of Palestine: Here's why She noted that nothing could justify Palestinian militant group Hamas's attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, or its continued holding of Israeli hostages. "But as members of the international community — and more so as human beings — it is our responsibility to acknowledge that the Israeli government's response and reprisals against the civilian population of Gaza have not only been egregious, but downright criminal," she asserted in her article, headlined 'Gaza sankat par mookdarshak Modi sarkaar' ('Modi govt a mute spectator amid Gaza tragedy'). Also read | UN adopts resolution to end Israel's occupation of Palestine; India abstains More than 55,000 Palestinian civilians have been killed, including 17,000 children, since the latest Israeli action began around two years ago, Gandhi said. Most residential buildings in Gaza have been razed to the ground and, she said, "the social fabric of Gaza has been completely shattered'. "The Israeli Defense Forces have imposed a military blockade on Gaza, deliberately and cruelly blocking the supply of medicines, food and fuel to the population," the former Congress chief wrote. "This strategy of forced starvation is undoubtedly a crime against humanity," Gandhi said, 'According to almost all objective assessments by experts on Israel's ongoing military occupation of Gaza, it is a campaign that amounts to genocide and aims to ethnically cleanse the Gaza Strip of Palestinians.' Sonia slams 'colonial mindset, greedy realty tycoons' Not naming names, she said the Israeli actions were to serve various objectives 'ranging from a colonial mindset to the selfish interests of a few greedy real estate tycoons'. Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump — the latter's family business is real estate — have spoken of clearing out Gaza and building a resort-like city there instead. She also wrote that the crisis has exposed the international system. Cites South Africa, Brazil, France 'UN General Assembly resolutions have been completely ignored… The International Court of Justice's order directing Israel to prevent acts of genocide… has also been completely ignored,' Gandhi said. The fight to protect the people of Gaza is now left to individual countries, she argued. She cited South Africa as having taken a 'bold step' in taking Israel to the International Court of Justice, and Brazil has now joined the effort. 'France has decided to recognise the Palestinian state, and countries like Britain and Canada have imposed sanctions on Israeli leaders,' she said. 'India must play its role like in the past' She pointed towards India's Directive Principles of State Policy that ask the government to 'promote international peace and security [and] foster respect for international law and treaty obligations'. As for long-term steps, she said India has been a supporter of the two-state solution and a 'just peace' between the people of Israel and Palestine. 'India has long been a symbol of global justice. We are the country that inspired global movements against colonialism… and led the international struggle against apartheid South Africa.' At a time when innocent people are being 'brutally slaughtered', she said, "India's abdication of its values is a blot on our national conscience, a disregard for our historical contributions, and also a cowardly betrayal of our constitutional values.' Her article comes a month after an unsigned piece in the party mouthpiece 'Congress Sandesh' termed the Modi government 'a failure on several levels' in the context of Gaza. Sonia's daughter, Lok Sabha member Priyanka Gandhi has been a vocal supporter of peace in Gaza.


Mint
2 hours ago
- Mint
Sonia Gandhi slams PM Modi's ‘shameful silence' on Gaza crisis; 'height of moral cowardice,' says Kharge
Congress parliamentary party leader Sonia Gandhi has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of adopting a "shameful silence" on Israel's military action in the Palestinian territory. In her article published in Hindi newspaper Dainik Jagran, Gandhi said the Gaza conflict had "exposed one of the most serious vulnerabilities in the Global order and called on the Prime Minister to speak up against the killing of more than 55,000 Palestinians, including 17,000 children, in the territory. Gandhi recalled how in 1974, under the leadership of Indira Gandhi, India became the first non-Arab country to recognise the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) as the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. She also said that in the article in 1988, India was among the first countries to officially recognise the State of Palestine. The former Congress president urged Modi, thus, to speak out "clearly, boldly and forthrightly" on behalf of the legacy that India has long represented. Sonia also reiterated India being a "symbol of global justice" and inspiring anti-colonial movements, while raising a voice against imperialism, and specifically being a supporter of the two-state solution. She criticised the lack of action on United Nations General Assembly resolutions calling for a permanent and unconditional ceasefire, saying these have been "completely ignored." "But as members of the international community — and more so as human beings — it is our responsibility to acknowledge that the Israeli government's response and reprisals against the civilian population of Gaza have not only been egregious, but downright criminal," Sonia Gandhi wrote in her article titled – 'Gaza sankat par mookdarshak Modi sarkaar' ('Modi government a mute spectator amid Gaza tragedy'). Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge repeated the views of Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi,accusing the Modi government of being a "silent spectator in the Gaza crisis." It is our responsibility to acknowledge that the Israeli government's response has been downright criminal. In a post on X sharing a picture of the newspaper article, Kharge said, "This is the height of moral cowardice. The time has come for him to raise a strong voice, in clear and bold words, on behalf of the legacy that India has represented. Today, the Global South is once again awaiting India's leadership on this issue that shakes the collective conscience of all humanity."


NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
Sonia Gandhi Slams Government For "Shameful Silence" On Gaza Crisis
New Delhi: Asserting that Israel's military campaign in Gaza amounts to "genocide", Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday slammed the Modi government for being a "mute spectator to this affront to humanity", and said this was a "cowardly betrayal of our constitutional values". She also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "shameful silence" in the face of Israel's relentless and devastating assault on the people of Gaza is "deeply disappointing", as well as the height of "moral cowardice". In an article published in the Hindi daily 'Dainik Jagran', Mrs Gandhi urged the prime minister to speak out "clearly, boldly and forthrightly" on behalf of the legacy that India has long represented. She said nothing can justify Hamas' barbaric attacks on innocent men, women and children in Israel on 7 October 2023, or its continued holding of Israeli hostages thereafter. She said these must be condemned repeatedly and unreservedly. "But as members of the international community - and more so as human beings - it is our responsibility to acknowledge that the Israeli government's response and reprisals against the civilian population of Gaza have not only been egregious, but downright criminal," she asserted in her article in Hindi titled 'Gaza sankat par mookdarshak Modi sarkaar'. Over the past nearly two years, more than 55,000 Palestinian civilians have been killed, including 17,000 children, Mrs Gandhi pointed out. Most residential buildings in Gaza have been razed to the ground through relentless aerial bombardment, including hospitals, she said, adding that the social fabric has been completely shattered. "The events since October 2023 have been disturbing, and in recent months the situation has become even more heart-wrenching. We have seen how humanitarian aid has been weaponised as part of a dastardly strategy. The Israeli Defense Forces have imposed a military blockade on Gaza, deliberately and cruelly blocking the supply of medicines, food and fuel to the population," the former Congress chief said. "The wanton destruction of infrastructure and the unbridled massacre of civilians have led to a man-made tragedy - made worse by the blockade. This strategy of forced starvation is undoubtedly a crime against humanity," Mrs Gandhi said. In the midst of this devastation, Israel has either outright rejected or blocked humanitarian aid from the United Nations and other international organisations, she asserted. "In a perversion of every idea of humanity, armed soldiers of the Israeli Defense Forces have ruthlessly fired on hundreds of civilians who were trying to gather food for their families. The United Nations itself has expressed grave concern on this issue - and even the Israeli Defense Forces have had to admit this horrifying truth," Mrs Gandhi said. "According to almost all objective assessments by experts on Israel's ongoing military occupation of Gaza, it is a campaign that amounts to genocide and aims to ethnically cleanse the Gaza Strip of Palestinians," she said. Its scale and consequences are reminiscent of the Naqba tragedy of 1948, when Palestinians were forced from their homes, Mrs Gandhi said. All this atrocities are being carried out to serve some of the most nefarious objectives - ranging from a colonial mindset to the selfish interests of a few "greedy" real estate tycoons, Mrs Gandhi claimed. She asserted that the ongoing crisis has exposed one of the most serious weaknesses in the international system. "UN General Assembly resolutions demanding an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza have been completely ignored. The United Nations Security Council has failed to impose sanctions on the Israeli government for its attacks on civilians in Gaza and the large-scale destruction of its infrastructure," she said. The International Court of Justice's order of 26 January 2024 -- directing Israel to prevent acts of genocide and to provide essential services and humanitarian aid to civilians -- has also been completely ignored, Mrs Gandhi said. Israel's direct and indirect support from the US not only encouraged these actions, but also made them possible, she added. Mrs Gandhi opined that when international laws and institutions have become "virtually defunct", the fight to protect the interests of the people of Gaza is now left to individual countries. Despite the risk of backlash, South Africa has taken the bold step of taking Israel to task at the International Court of Justice, and Brazil has now joined the effort, she noted. France has decided to recognise the Palestinian state, and countries like Britain and Canada have imposed sanctions on Israeli leaders who have promoted aggression in Gaza, she said. Even within Israel itself, the voices of protest are growing - a former prime minister has acknowledged the reality of Israeli war crimes in Gaza, she said. "Amidst this humanitarian crisis and the rising global consciousness around it, it is a national shame that India has remained a mute spectator to this affront to humanity," Mrs Gandhi said. "India has long been a symbol of global justice. We are the country that inspired global movements against colonialism, raised its voice against imperialist domination during the Cold War era, and led the international struggle against apartheid South Africa," she said. "At a time when innocent human beings are being brutally slaughtered, India's abdication of its values is a blot on our national conscience, a disregard for our historical contributions, and also a cowardly betrayal of our constitutional values," Mrs Gandhi said. She pointed out that the Directive Principles of State Policy clearly require the government to take effective steps to "promote international peace and security, maintain just and honourable relations between nations, foster respect for international law and treaty obligations, and encourage settlement of international disputes by arbitration. "But Israel's blatant disregard for basic concepts of international law, human rights and justice - and our current government's moral cowardice in the face of it - is tantamount to a dereliction of our duties to our constitutional values," she said. India has always been a supporter of the 'two-state solution' and a just peace between the people of Israel and Palestine, she asserted. Mrs Gandhi recalled that in 1974, under the leadership of Indira Gandhi, India became the first non-Arab country to recognise the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) as the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. In 1988, India was among the first countries to officially recognise the State of Palestine, she noted. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi's shameful silence in the face of Israel's relentless and devastating assault on the people of Gaza is deeply disappointing. It is the height of moral cowardice. The time has come for him to speak out clearly, boldly and forthrightly on behalf of the legacy that India has long represented," she said. The Global South is once again looking to India for leadership on an issue that today shakes the collective conscience of all humanity, Mrs Gandhi said.