BJP and Shiv Sena hit out at Uddhav Thackeray, spare Raj Thackeray
'His love for Marathi is nothing but a political stunt that surfaces when elections are near. The public has now recognised this hypocrisy,' he remarked in his reaction after Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray attended a joint rally to celebrate the state government's move to withdraw two government resolutions on the introduction of Hindi along with Marathi and English.
Incidentally, Bawankule did not target Raj Thackeray in his criticism.
He said that under the guise of Marathi pride, Uddhav Thackeray sang a lament in Worli about the loss of power.
'Why did he accept the report mandating Hindi from the first grade in 2022 while he was Chief Minister? He never answered it,' he said.
Bawankule said that the Marathi language is not just an identity that stands on emotions, but it must be reflected in policies.
'When you (Uddhav Thackeray) were in power in Mumbai, you sidelined the Marathi people. Now, to regain power, you are showing fake love for Marathi again,' he claimed.
He alleged that it is clear from Uddhav Thackeray's speech that his real agenda is not 'M' for 'Marathi,' but 'M' for 'Municipal Corporation',
'His love for Marathi is nothing but a political stunt that surfaces when elections are near. The public has now recognised this hypocrisy,' said Bawankule.
Further, the Mumbai BJP president and Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar claimed that the handshake between Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray is nothing but an attempt to win the family "battle" because they fear losing the election.
In his post on X, Shelar claimed: 'This is not for the language but a public appeal for the elections! With the municipal elections approaching, the panicked Uddhav Sena, scared of the BJP, now remembers family ties. The program in Worli today was a family bonding event to publicly appeal to the brother they had thrown out of the house. There was no love for the language or anything like that... and it doesn't even matter to them! This is a desperate struggle to gain power in the municipality and to loot Mumbai again for the sake of power.'
On the other hand, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena also only targeted Uddhav Thackeray, terming him a detractor and a hollow figurehead while showering praise on Raj Thackeray, terming him wise and a champion of Marathi.
In a post on X, Shiv Sena made a comparison between the leadership of Uddhav and Raj Thackeray.
'One enlightened, the other provocative. One right, the other left. One younger yet grand, the other grand yet younger. One a lover of Marathi, the other a lover of power. One wields a whip in words, the other harbours vengeance in speech. One a champion of Marathi, the other a detractor. One wise, the other foolish. One carries the legacy of Marathi, and the other fills their pockets. One stands tall with independent pride, the other just a hollow figurehead.'
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