‘Your survival is at stake’: Fadnavis’s blunt warning to Thackerays over ‘fa ...
As campaigning intensifies ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, Maharashtra Deputy Minister Eknath Shinde and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis hit back at the Thackeray brothers over claims related to the Marathi identity. Speaking at a Mahayuti rally in Mumbai, Fadnavis rejected the Thackeray brothers’ assertion that the BJP was diluting the cause of Marathi identity and stated that the narrative of a “threat to Mumbai” was being forced for electoral reasons, The Indian Express reported.“The threat to Mumbai is a fake narrative built by the Thackeray brothers, keeping polls in view as they don’t have any development work to show…The threat is not to Mumbai but to your (Thackearys’) survival,” Fadnavis stated in a rally, as reported by the Indian Express. The Maharashtra CM also talked about investment and development related to jobs and employment for the “Marathi Manoos”. He also claimed that the alliance was confident of victory and a Marathi mayor in Mumbai.
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The State Election Commission has announced elections to 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including BMC, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). Polling is scheduled for January 15, and counting will take place on January 16.
Marathi people’s existence was never in threat, says Shinde
Replying to what he termed as emotional election speeches by rival parties, Shinde refuted the claim that the existence of the “Marathi manush” is under threat in Mumbai. “Some people made emotional speeches in the poll that this is the last election for protecting the existence of ‘Marathi manush.” I want to inform everyone that Marathi people’s existence was never in threat and will never be in threat in Mumbai,” Shinde stated, as quoted by ANI.
He also showed confidence that the Mahayuti alliance would come back to power in the civic body. He further added that, “Mahayuti will come to power in BMC and this is a saffron line drawn on a black stone.”
Shinde remarks on Pahalgam, taunt of the party split, and metro cost escalation
In the same remarks, Shinde also made a comparison between Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reply to the Phalgam terror attack and what he claimed about Thackerays.
“Hindus were killed in Pahalgam. PM Modi left his official visit in between and returned back. But they (Thackeray’s) could not leave London and come back,” Shinde added , as reported by ANI.
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Shinde also blamed the opposition of making “below the belt” comments and the political divide and the issue of leaving positions behind. “When we left the party, we left everything behind, including our ministership. Give me any such instances where someone has left ministership and left the party…” he mentioned.
Shinde also blamed the opposition for obstructing metro work and raised the issue of cost escalation. “You (UBT) blocked the metro work that escalated the cost of the metro project by Rs 10,000 crores, “ he alleged, as reported by ANI.
Shinde reaction on ‘Marathi Manoos”
Shinde also mentioned that Marathi people who left Mumbai during the regime of Thackeray would be brought back. “All Mumbaikars who had to leave the city will be brought back,” he declared, as quoted by The Indian Express.
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