At the height of the campaign for the assembly election, Shiv Sena (UBT) president and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray fought salvos by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah against the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies.
PM Modi had thrown the gauntlet at MVA leaders, particularly Thackeray, when he asked him to coax the Congress' Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to speak a few words glorifying the late Balasaheb Thackeray, the founder of the (undivided) Shiv Sena, at an election rally in Nashik on Friday.
As was seen earlier from the PM, HM Shah spoke on similar lines a few days ago in what was construed as an attempt to sow discord among the MVA allies, especially Congress vis-à-vis the SS (UBT)-Nationalist Congress Party (SP).
In a last-minute challenge, Thackeray on Sunday night at a poll rally accepted the challenge and hit back at the Modi-Shah duo, nearly defending Rahul Gandhi from the dual assault by them in the campaign cacophony.
"At the Lok Sabha election campaign rally at Shivaji Park, Rahul Gandhi had gone to the memorial of Balasaheb Thackeray and paid homage to him, before the public meeting there," said Thackeray.
Continuing in his hard-hitting vein, he said in case the Bharatiya Janata Party's cronies had not informed of this, "then I can send you a video of that occasion" of March 17, 2024.
After the SS(UBT) chief's statement, TV channels and social media networks have been seen flashing that video of Rahul Gandhi paying serious respects at the Balasaheb Thackeray memorial in a corner of the CSM Park, otherwise fondly referred to as 'cradle of Indian cricket'.
Inching closer towards the PM, Thackeray said: "You all know… Rahul Gandhi has never questioned my antecedents, but PM Modi had called me a 'nakli santaan' (fake offspring) of my father during the LS elections."
He also scathed the Mahayuti government led by BJP who had diverted several mega-projects towards Gujarat and other states, depriving Maharashtra of the benefits of big investments, huge job opportunities, and an elate pace of development.
Thackeray also reiterated how he practised the all-inclusive 'Hindutva' of Balasaheb Thackeray that has earned the SS(UBT) and MVA huge support from the Muslims and other minorities, and attacked the BJP's dividing slogans such as 'Batenge to Katenge (divided you perish)' while going around during the election canvassing.
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to arrive for his second round of polls campaign in the state on November 12, 14, 16, and Priyanka Vadra will also be here on November 13, 16, 17, when they are likely to respond to the latest row brewed up by the PM's remarks.
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