In a fiery political confrontation, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) this Friday. The controversy erupted following a directive from the Rajya Sabha Secretariat advising Members of Parliament to refrain from using slogans such as 'Vande Mataram' and 'Jai Hind' within Parliament to maintain decorum.
A Direct Challenge to the BJP
Thackeray vehemently criticized what he termed the BJP's hypocrisy on nationalism. He reminded the public that the BJP had previously insisted that chanting 'Vande Mataram' was a prerequisite for living in India. Now, he accused them of reversing their stance. "Will the BJP send the person who has issued such an order to Pakistan?" Thackeray questioned rhetorically during his address.
Issuing a direct challenge to the ruling party, Thackeray declared, "We have 2 MPs in Rajya Sabha. They will chant Vande Mataram. If BJP has the guts, then they must suspend our MPs for chanting Vande Mataram." He asserted that this move has exposed the BJP's "drama of Hindutva and nationalism," accusing them of being "children of Macaulay."
Allegations of Money Power in Maharashtra Polls
Beyond the parliamentary dispute, Thackeray turned his focus to the ongoing local body elections in Maharashtra. He leveled serious allegations against the ruling MahaYuti coalition, claiming a blatant misuse of financial power.
"Money was being poured in on the eve of elections," Thackeray stated, describing it as a sheer lust for power. He painted a picture of a "volcano of corruption" erupting across the state and questioned if an open auction of votes was underway.
"Money bags are being opened in the elections. Where does this money come from? No one has the answer to this," he said, expressing his frustration. Thackeray further criticized the state's ministers for being disconnected from the people, alleging they neither listen to farmers nor to the concerns of urban citizens.
Saamna Editorial Amplifies the Attack
The party's mouthpiece, Saamna, echoed Thackeray's accusations in a sharp editorial. It claimed that Maharashtra politics is trapped in a vicious cycle of 'money from power, power and money from the same money'.
The editorial cited specific ministers to bolster its claims. It pointed to Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, who it claimed publicly told his workers, "I have a lot of money. Don't worry about money. You win the elections." It also mentioned Gulabrao Patil, another minister, for speaking in a similar tone.
Highlighting the control over key financial departments, the editorial named ministers holding crucial portfolios: Bawankule (Revenue), Eknath Shinde (Urban Development), and Ajit Pawar (Finance). It labeled these departments as 'malach mal' (Money for me only), alleging that this is the ruling party's core policy to win municipal elections by flooding them with money.
This combined assault from the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and its newspaper signals a significant escalation in the political rhetoric, setting the stage for a heated battle both inside and outside the Parliament.
