'Fake Sena Chief': Amit Shah Shreds Uddhav Thackeray Over Ayodhya Event

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday lashed out at the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray for not attending the 'Pran Pratishtha' (consecration ceremony) of Ram Lalla at the Ayodhya temple and alleged that he turned down the invitation to the event due to 'fear' of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.

Amit Shah, while addressing a public rally in Maharashtra's Amaravati slammed the opposition leaders, including Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for not attending the event and accused them of "humiliating" Lord Ram.

"Uddhav Thackeray, who claims to be the president of Shiv Sena, this fake president of Shiv Sena didn't attend the 'Pran Pratishtha' due to fear of Sonia Gandhi even after being invited. 'Rahul Baba' too received the invitation but didn't attend the 'Pran Pratishtha'. These people, by not attending the 'Pran Pratishtha', have humiliated Lord Ram," Mr Shah said.

Doubling down his charges against Uddhav Thackeray, the minister said that the former Maharashtra Chief Minister left every principle of Bal Thackeray, the Shiv Sena's patriarch.

"Umesh Kolhe was murdered and this so-called 'Hindu hit rakshak' Uddhav Thackeray did nothing. 'Uddhav babu', you have left every enculturation of Balasaheb. I want to tell you that Eknath Shinde has moved forward with all the enculturation of Balasaheb. In Maharashtra, it's our govt now, it's the govt of Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis, and now, no Umesh will be murdered, no one has the courage," Mr Shah said.

Kolhe was murdered by three assailants on June 21, 2023, when he was returning from work, days after he had put up a post on WhatsApp in support of former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, who had made controversial comments on Prophet Mohammed.

"Your every vote is going to free this country from terrorism and naxalism... In the fight between those who want Ram Rajya and those who want the rule of a family, your every vote is going for Ram Rajya," Mr Shah told people in the audience.

Amit Shah was addressing a rally in Amravati to drum up the support of people for BJP's candidate Navneet Rana.

Ms Rana had won the Amravati seat as an Independent candidate supported by the undivided NCP in 2019 and has been fielded by the BJP this time.

Navneet Rana was the only Independent from Maharashtra to enter the Lok Sabha in 2019. She then had the backing of Sharad Pawar-led NCP. However, the Amravati MP, who had started her career under Mr Pawar, later started supporting the BJP.

The voting date for the Amravati Lok Sabha constituency is set for April 26, the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls. It comprises six assembly seats of Badnera, Amravati, Teosa, Daryapur (reserved for Scheduled Castes), Melghat (reserved for Scheduled Tribes), and Achalpur.

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