Shiv Sena Thane MP Naresh Mhaske criticizes Uddhav Thackeray over efforts to reconcile with Raj Thackeray ahead of Mumbai municipal elections
THANE: Shiv Sena Thane MP Naresh
Mhaske
on Monday launched a sharp attack on
Shiv Sena UBT
chief
Uddhav Thackeray
, calling him a modern-day Duryodhan from the Mahabharata.
Mhaske claimed Thackeray's efforts to reconcile with cousin
Raj Thackeray
were driven by desperation ahead of the Mumbai municipal elections. He accused
Uddhav
of sidelining his family and denying Raj his rightful place in the party.
'Just like Duryodhana refused to give even a needlepoint of land to his brothers, Uddhav has sidelined his siblings and was also responsible for denying Raj his rightful place in the party, eventually forcing the latter to walk out. Ahead of the Mumbai elections, he (Uddhav) has now apparently realised that his faction has no mass leader or a fiery orator. His attempt to reconcile with Raj is no less than political opportunism,' Mhaske said.
The MP also criticised Uddhav's faction over their Hindutva claims, questioning why
UBT
MPs opposed the Waqf Board Amendment Bill despite being aware of its misuse.
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He slammed their hypocrisy, pointing out their refusal to acknowledge Balasaheb Thackeray as 'Hindu
Hriday Samrat
' while seeking votes from minority religious leaders during elections.
The MP further took aim at Uddhav's rhetoric on Marathi-Gujarati issues, alleging hypocrisy over their stance on non-Marathis.
"They remember the
Marathi
maanos and his pride only during the elections. They must come out clean over their stand towards non-Marathis as most of their cronies are not Maharashtrians," he pointed out while exposing the hypocrisy of the Uddhav camp who secretly meet BJP leaders while publicly target them.
Meanwhile, political circles were abuzz with speculations about the Eknath Shinde-led faction being wary of the ongoing Thackeray-Raj reconciliation talks, which they feel could impact their prospects.
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