The show of strength between Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray on Dussehra day -- customary since Shiv Sena split -- continued this year too. With months to go before the Lok Sabha elections, the two leaders attacked each other in strong language, "Ravan" and "General Dyer" being some of the invectives used.
"Like Jallianwala Bagh, there was lathicharge on Marathas in the Sarati villages. Eknath Shinde's government is General Dyer's government," Uddhav Thackeray said from the sprawling Shivaji Park in Dadar, the traditional venue of the event. This is where his father and Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray addressed his workers, charging them with fiery oratory.
From Azad Maidan, also in South Mumbai, the Chief Minister compared his political rival to Ravan from Ramayan. His point -- the way Ravan disguised himself as a monk to abduct Sita, Uddhav Thackeray also concealed his desire to be the Chief Minister.
"Uddhav Thackeray wanted to become the Chief Minister, but did not want to show it. It was not allowed to be revealed till the end… Like Ravana disguised himself to kidnap Sita... Uddhav Thackeray had made a pact to become the Chief Minister... Two people were sent to Sharad Pawar to name him (for the post)," he said.
He, in contrast, had "promised Balsaheb that I would make a Shiv Sainik the Chief Minister," he added.
Mr Shinde further alleged that despite being the son of Balasaheb, Uddhav Thackeray had actually left him to "go to a Five Star". The reference was to the rains of July 26, 2005, when the whole of Mumbai was flooded. The allegation was that Uddhav Thackeray had checked into a five-star hotel that day. "If he can do this to our father, what will happen to someone else?" he demanded.
The Shiv Sena split in June last year after Mr Shinde and his loyalist MLAs rebelled and pulled down the Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by Uddhav Thackeray. Mr Shinde then formed government with the support of the BJP.
The Uddhav Thackeray faction has since dubbed them "traitors". The Shinde group claims Mr Thackeray broke the alliance with the BJP and joined hands with the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party after forsaking Hindutva to satisfy his personal ambition to become the Chief Minister.
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