"Wolf Doesn't Turn Into a Tiger by Wearing Its Skin": Eknath Shinde's Jibe at Uddhav Thackeray

Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde made a scathing attack on his former mentor and Shiv Sena-UBT leader Uddhav Thackeray on Friday, claiming that just wearing the looks of a tiger does not qualify one as a real leader.

"Some individuals have lost their mental stability and are now resorting to aggressive rhetoric about breaking heads. But those who find themselves in a position similar to Asrani’s character in Sholay should refrain from making such statements. Strength is required to issue challenges—wearing a tiger’s skin does not transform a wolf into a tiger," Shinde remarked at a party gathering in Deori, located in Gondia district in the Vidarbha region.

Taking a dig at Shiv Sena (UBT), he asserted that the group had already lost the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls and foresaw the same for them in the local body elections as well.

Shinde attributed the landslide victory of Shiv Sena and the MahaYuti alliance to the massive backing of the people—especially farmers, sisters, and brothers.

"Some critics had declared that none of our MLAs would win. However, I had confidently stated in the Assembly that we would secure more than 200 seats. In reality, MahaYuti emerged victorious with 232 seats," he pointed out.

Looking back at the governance, Shinde pointed to the success of the MahaYuti government from June 2022 to November 2024. He underscored the restarting of prestigious irrigation projects in Vidarbha and Marathwada, and the resumption of the Jalyukt Shivar Yojana, which had been suspended during the Maha Vikas Aghadi.

"Positions and power are fleeting, but the love and respect gained from the people as their 'beloved brother' are of much greater importance," Shinde said. He reasserted his commitment to Maharashtra's development, saying, "I will work for Maharashtra with unflinching devotion until my last drop of blood. I have never been motivated by ambition for positions or power, and I never will be."

On his part, at a press conference in Nagpur, Shinde again hit out at the Shiv Sena (UBT), saying that the leaders who ditched Balasaheb Thackeray's ideology and pushed good people from the party had been rejected by the voters in the Assembly elections and were now politically irrelevant.

"Shiv Sena is the real torchbearer of Balasaheb Thackeray and Dharmaveer Anand Dighe's ideals. This is why office bearers, workers, and leaders from other parties in Maharashtra are now joining us," he claimed.

Replying to allegations of an email threat he had been issued, Shinde brushed aside any apprehension, reasserting his strength. "I am a Balasaheb Thackeray and Anand Dighe follower. When Anand Dighe was in action, dance bars were closed down in the face of threats. In the same way, as Guardian Minister of Gadchiroli, I was threatened by Maoists, but the Gadchiroli police addressed the Left Wing Extremist (LWE) problem in a very effective way. I am not one who is intimidated—I stand firm on my path," he asserted.