Mumbai, Oct 20 (PTI) Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday asserted that the Opposition, including his party, has stood up for bringing about a ‘regime change’ and promised to usher in ‘acche din’ (good days) after dislodging the BJP-led government at the Centre.
The former CM, whose party has backed anti-CEC-SIR protests, emphasised the youth who have hit the streets in support of their demands are not Naxalites, but “revolutionaries” seeking their rights.
Addressing the annual Dussehra rally at the Shivaji Park in Mumbai, Thackeray insisted staging a protest is the right of youth because ‘vote chori’ (vote theft) is happening with everyone, especially new voters.
This was the 60th anniversary of the Shiv Sena’s Dussehra rally at the iconic ground in Dadar. Shiv Sena founder late Bal Thackeray addressed the first rally at the Shivaji Park on the Dussehra day in 1966, four months after forming the party on the ‘sons of the soil’ (Marathi manoos) plank.
“We are standing up to bring about a ‘regime change,” the former chief minister declared.
“We will bring ‘acche din’ (good days),” he added as he asked party workers to strive for government change.
He accused the BJP of resorting to “confusion scam” and seeking to malign the image of Opposition leaders and indulging in their character assassination.
“Acche din” slogan was a centrepiece of the BJP campaign during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, which saw the national saffron party coming to power with a full majority.
Thackeray sought to distinguish between his party’s Hindutva and the one advocated by the BJP, his former ally.
Hindutva of those who wear saffron scarf and eve tease women is not acceptable, he said alleging that the BJP was maligning Hindutva.
“We have to unfurl Bhagwa (saffron flag) not only atop Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha, but also on Lal Qila (Red Fort in Delhi),” Thackeray told the gathering.
“This is our identity. No one can steal our identity,” he said in a veiled dig at the BJP and its ally Shiv Sena headed by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
He accused the BJP of trying to divide people by separating colours from the tricolour, claiming the national party wants to bring the ‘varna’ (caste) system back.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader further accused the ruling BJP of trying to change the language of Maharashtra.
The former CM claimed Maharashtra is being constantly insulted, but “bootlickers” don’t utter a word on the issue, an attack on leaders of the rival Shiv Sena led by Shinde.
Thackeray also targeted RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for his remarks on protests by youth at the Hindutva outfit’s annual Vijayadashami event held in Nagpur earlier in the day.
Bhagwat said regime-change agitations do not resolve fundamental problems, warning that protests could become instruments of political interests and fuel divisions in society rather than delivering solutions.
“If one does not get justice and hits the streets, you will dub them as goons and Naxalites?” asked Thackeray.
When Gen Z members protested at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, police attacked them like wolves, he claimed.
“Your (the government’s) assault on protesting youth was worse than cattle,” he said.
The former Maharashtra CM said protest is the right of youth because ‘vote chori’ (vote theft) is happening with everyone, especially new voters.
Thackeray asked why will the youth not hit the streets if they don’t get justice?
“I want to tell the police not to act like wolves. Youth who have hit the streets are not Naxalites, they are revolutionaries seeking their rights,” Thackeray stressed.
The Opposition politician slammed the BJP-led Mahayuti government over its handling of drought in Maharashtra, saying the ruling coalition was only giving assurances to affected farmers.
Last year, when heavy rains destroyed farms in the state, an assistance of 3.5 lakh per hectare was announced by the government, but how many farmers received that monetary help? he asked.
The BJP-led government’s announcement of Rs 5,000 financial assistance for drought-hit farmers before Diwali was not a favour, he maintained.
The government is yet to give two instalments of Namo Kisan Yojana to farmers, said Thackeray and sought to know how many cultivators have benefitted from the loan waiver scheme.
Targeting his arch political rival Shinde, he said son of a farmer goes to his farm in a helicopter and dubbed it “hypocrisy”.
He slammed the government over the law and order situation in the state and in this regard cited the firing on actor Tiger Shroff in Mumbai on Sunday evening.
“Chamko” (a reference to Shinde) went to visit the actor later, he added.
Those who shot at Shroff should have been nabbed before hand, said Thackeray and dared the state government to seek the custody of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, currently lodged at Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad.
Shiv Sena (UBT) workers later burnt an effigy of ‘vote chor ravan’ at the rally. PTI PR RSY
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