Mumbai: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday lavished praises on ally Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah for the decision to abrogate the Art. 370 in Jammu & Kashmir.
Addressing his customary annual Dassehra Rally, the Sena President described Shah as “a person who lives up to his words” and said the scrapping of Art. 370 was a dream of the late party founder Balasaheb Thackeray.
“Amitbhai does what he says… By scrapping Art. 370, the dream of Balasaheb Thackeray has been fulfilled. Now we want the uniform civil code,” Thackeray urged.
Greeting people on the occasion of Dassehra, he said that this day is celebrated for Lord Ram killing the demon king Ravana.
“This means Lord Ram existed…So it is our demand that a temple of Lord Ram should come up in his birthplace Ayodhya. We are not seeking votes in the name of the temple, but because it is the desire of all countrymen and the Hindus,” Thackeray thundered at Shivaji Park.
He committed that in its next tenure, the BJP-Sena alliance government’s performance would be akin to Ram-rajya.
Dismissing allegations from some quarters that the Sena had ‘compromised’ and ‘bent’ in the seat-sharing with BJP, the Sena chief said that the alliance was for ‘Hindutva’, and such adjustments are a part and parcel of any alliance.
“Nobody can make the Sena bend before them… Before I take every decision, I think how my Shiv Sainiks would react to it. Our alliance is honest. We want to fly the saffron flag over Maharashtra Legislature… I apologise to all those who have lost their seats due to the alliance,” Thackeray said.
Attacking the Opposition, Thackeray vowed to target them as long as they singled him out for attacks, but said the Sena never indulges in ‘vendetta politics’, which was once done when the Congress had filed a court case against the late Bal Thackeray.
He ridiculed the statement by former union minister and chief minister Sushilkumar Shinde earlier today, saying both Congress-NCP are now tired and could merge in future.
“They are tired of what? What have done all these years? Recently, Ajit Pawar shed crocodile tears, but it was his own deeds (karma) which have caught up and made him cry,” Thackeray said.
Outlining the party’s manifesto, he said youths would be provided jobs on priority, there will be complete waiver of all farms loans, the poor would be given a meal for Rs.10 a plate and full medical checkups would be conducted for Re.1.
Present on the occasion were top leaders including former chief minister and Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi, son Aditya who is contesting from Worli seat, Uddhav’s wife Rashmi, ministers, MPs, legislators and other party functioneries.-IANS news
