Uddhav Thackeray's ‘yeh andar ki baat hai' response to Devendra Fadnavis ‘offer to join ruling side' in Maharashtra
While speaking to reporters at the state assembly on Friday, Uddhav Thackeray referred to a comment he had just made to the print media.
He was quoted by NDTV and News18 as saying, 'Before speaking to you, I was speaking to the print media. I spoke about the chaddi baniyan gang. Chaddi baniyans also have an advertisement – yeh andar ki baat hai [this is an inside matter]."
Uddhav Thackeray's statement came days after Fadnavis extended an "offer" to his former ally — setting off political speculation in the state.
CM Devendra Fadnavis made a tongue-in-cheek remark on Wednesday while speaking at the farewell function of leader of opposition in the council Ambadas Danve.
Fadnavis told Uddhav Thackeray that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was not likely to join him in the Opposition, but he can come over to the ruling side.
"Uddhav ji, there is no scope [for a change in government] till 2029 [when next assembly polls are due]. We do not have the scope to come to the other [opposition's] side. You have the scope to come here, and it can be thought about. We can think about it differently," Fadnavis had said.
Uddhav Thackeray met Fadnavis on Thursday, a day after the latter's "come here" offer to the former. The Shiv Sena (UBT) president met the chief minister in the chamber of legislative council chairperson Ram Shinde.
The former CM's son and Worli MLA Aaditya Thackeray was also present during the meeting, which lasted about half an hour. Aaditya Thackeray said the meeting was to discuss Marathi language-related issues.
Fadnavis, however, cleared the air on his statement and reportedly said it was a 'joke', referring to his comment that "Uddhav ji" has the scope to reunite with the ruling Mahayuti alliance.
To a question by reporters on Friday, Fadnavis said, 'Why do you take our jokes seriously? Even Uddhav ji has said it was said in a lighter note. Don't take our tension. We [Mahayuti] are capable and competent,' NDTV reported.
Uddhav Thackeray's "chaddi baniyan" reference was to a comment by Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar who, in the assembly, had reportedly said the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance has fostered a culture of violence, misgovernance and corruption, turning Maharashtra into a "20 per cent commission" state.
"While koyta gangs [gangs wielding 'koyta' knives] wreaked havoc in Pune, the ruling party has its own chaddi baniyan gang who resort to violence if things do not go their way," Wadettiwar was quoted by NDTV as saying.
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