Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on freedom fighter V D Savarkar and asked whether Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray supports such a statement. Talking to reporters, Fadnavis said Rahul Gandhi didn't know the history of India and the Congress. In a media interaction on Saturday, Rahul Gandhi said Savarkar used to get a stipend from the British and these are historical facts. Rahul Gandhi has again insulted Swatyantraveer Savarkarhe has been constantly saying that he was an agent and took the money. I condemn his statement," Fadnavis said. He said the Congress has often insulted Savarkar because he had the backing of a large number of people. "After Independence, Congress has purposely insulted Savarkar several times, the BJP leader alleged. Latching on to Rahul's remarks, Fadnavis asked whether Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray would condemn his statement. The Congress and the Shiv Sena are partner
The Election Commission on Saturday barred the Shiv Sena factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde from using the party name and its election symbol in the Andheri East assembly bypoll. In an interim order over the claims by the rival factions for control of the organisation, the commission asked them to suggest by Monday three different name choices and also as many free symbols for allocation to their respective groups. The interim order came on Saturday on the Shinde faction's request seeking it be allocated the symbol as the Andheri East assembly bypoll is approaching. "The Commission is duty bound to ensure that all electoral steps of the bye election are free of any confusion and contradiction and thus its next step are necessarily agnostic to the possibility of either of the faction participating in the poll, the interim order said. The rival factions had approached the Commission after the split in the Shiv Sena ranks in June, claiming to be the 'real Shiv Sena'.
The Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena will begin its mass outreach programme titled 'Mahaprabodhan Yatra' on Sunday from Thane, the stronghold of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, whose rebellion brought down the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in June. The programme comprises a series of rallies across the state to garner support of the people and highlight their issues and also boost the spirit of workers, Sena leader Chintamani Kharkhanis told reporters on Saturday. Incidentally, the posters of the yatra, with the slogan 'Aapla Maharashtra, Mahaan Maharashtra' will have images of both party founder late Bal Thackeray and Thane strongman later Anand Dighe, just like the publicity material used by the Shinde camp. The yatra is beginning from Thane as it is the cradle of the "betrayal and revolt" in the party, local Lok Sabha MP Rajan Vichare told reporters, a reference to Shinde walking away with a majority of MLAs to bring down the Uddhav Thackeray government on June
The Election Commission has asked the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena to respond by Saturday on rival Eknath Shinde group's claim on the party's 'bow and arrow' election symbol in view of the upcoming assembly bypoll in the state. The Commission's directive came on Friday after the Shinde faction submitted a memorandum seeking it be allocated the symbol as the Andheri East assembly bypoll is approaching. In a letter to Thackeray, the Commission directed it to furnish comments along with requisite documents latest by 2 pm on October 8. "In case no reply is received, the Commission will take appropriate action in the matter accordingly," the Commission said. The Commission told Thackeray the Shinde faction had staked claim to the bow and arrow' on October 4. The Andheri East bypoll was notified on Friday. Shiv Sena leader Anil Desai, who belongs to the Thackeray faction, said the party would respond to the Commission within the stipulated time. Desai met Commission offici
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena on Friday alleged that Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Dussehra rally was a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-backed event, and mocked him saying that he only "read out Modi-Shah Chalisa" during his speech. It also dubbed the Shinde-led rebel faction as a "duplicate Shiv Sena". In an editorial in Shiv Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana', the party claimed that the Shinde camp must have spent Rs 50 crore to Rs 100 crore on the Dussehra rally held at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), as nearly 2,000 buses were booked to ferry supporters and over two lakh people who attended the event were given food. "The rally at the BKC was one of the BJP-backed events. The amount spent must have been the same used for buying a couple of MLAs. The event was like a fashion show and a beauty pageant," it said. Ever since Shinde and other Sena legislators rebelled against the party leadership, the Uddhav Thackeray faction has been targeting them saying that each of the reb
Lok Sabha member Shrikant Shinde on Thursday objected to Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray "dragging" the name of his one-and-a-half year old son during his Dussehra rally speech a day ago, and asked whether targeting a child suited his Hindutva. Shrikant Shinde is the son of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The rebel Sena MP represents the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat in Thane district. In an open letter, Shinde said late Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray seared his political opponents, but never resorted to such "lowly" remarks. "Do you understand the views shared by you on Hindutva? I just want to ask you one thing whether such dragging a one-and-half-year old son suits your Hindutva? Shinde asked. On Wednesday, both the factions of the Shiv Sena - one led by Thackeray and other by CM Shinde - held their rallies that saw attacks and counter attacks against each other. During his speech, Thackeray attacked CM Shinde as he referred to his son (Shrikant) as a brat and said his gran
From coronavirus cases in India to all the latest developments from across the globe, catch all the updates here
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday accused each other of betrayal as the Shiv Sena groups headed by them held Dussehra rallies in Mumbai. While Uddhav Thackeray branded Shinde and his supporters as traitors for teaming up with the BJP to wrest power, the latter said Thackeray had betrayed people of Maharashtra who voted for the Sena and BJP to form an alliance government, by teaming up with Congress and NCP after 2019 Assembly elections. Thackeray made an hour-long speech at Shivaji Park ground, where his party has been holding the Dussehra rallies since its inception half a century ago, while Shinde addressed the crowd for an hour and a half at a bigger ground at Bandra Kurla Complex. Shinde asserted his rebellion was not an act of "betrayal", but a "revolt" and asked Uddhav Thackeray to kneel down at party founder Bal Thackeray's memorial here and apologise for going against his ideals and aligning with the Congress and the .
Jaidev Thackeray, the elder brother of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, on Wednesday evening shared the stage with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at the rebel faction's Dussehra rally at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai. Jaidev Thackeray's estranged wife Smita was also present at the MMRDA ground in BKC, the rally site in suburban Mumbai, along with Nihar, the son of late Bindumadhav Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray's eldest brother. Champa Singh Thapa, a trusted aide of the late Bal Thackeray who served the Shiv Sena founder for 27 years, was also present at the event. Talking to reporters, Smita Thackeray said she was invited to the rally by Shinde, who heads the rebel faction of the Shiv Sena. Jaidev Thackeray, son of Bal Thackeray, said to share an uneasy relationship with his younger brother Uddhav Thackeray. The Uddhav Thackeray-led faction has organised its own Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai. Both Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray claim their
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday asserted his rebellion was not an act of "betrayal", but a "revolt" and asked Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray to kneel down at party founder Bal Thackeray's memorial here and apologise for going against his ideals and aligning with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Addressing a mega rally at the Bandra Kurla Complex's MMRDA ground on the occasion of Dussehra, Shinde said voters in the state elected the Shiv Sena and the BJP in the 2019 Assembly elections, but Thackeray "betrayed" people by joining hands with the Congress and the NCP to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. He said massive crowds at his Dussehra rally was proof enough to show who are true inheritors of Bal Thackeray's legacy. Slamming Thackeray, Shinde, who heads the rebel faction of the party, said the Shiv Sena was not a private limited company and maintained the 56-year-old outfit was built through hard work of common Sena ...
In a scathing attack on Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his supporters, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said their reputation as "traitors" will never be washed away. Addressing the annual Dussehra rally at the iconic Shivaji Park ground here, Thackeray lashed out at Shinde, whose rebellion in June this year brought down the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government in the state. "As time changes, Ravan's face also changes. Today, it is the traitors (who are Ravan). When I was unwell and underwent a surgery, I had given the responsibility to him (Shinde). But he conspired against me thinking I will never stand up on my feet again," the former chief minister said. The Shiv Sena does not belong to one person but it belongs to all loyal Sena workers, Thackeray said, adding, "If you feel I should not remain the Sena president, I will quit. "There is a limit to lust for power...After the act of treachery, he now wants the party, its symbol and also
Ahead of his Dussehra rally, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday tweeted a couplet by famous Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan, which said that whosoever is his heir will be his son and not vice versa. Shinde's tweet appears to be targeted at former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aaditya Thackeray. While Uddhav Thackeray heads one faction of the Shiv Sena, Shinde leads another camp. Both the leaders are scheduled to address the Dussehra rallies of their respective factions in Mumbai this evening. Bachchan's couplet posted by Shinde said, "My son, being my son will not be my heir, whoever will be my heir will be my son." The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government collapsed on June 29 this year after Shinde rebelled against the Sena leadership along with 39 party legislators. A day later, he took oath as the chief minister with senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis as his deputy. Aaditya Thackeray, who represents
As Maharashtra braces for an unprecedented political development of 'two Shiv Sena' Dassehra rallies crossing words and swords, Sharad Pawar advised both Shinde and Thackeray "not to cross the limit"
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday took a swipe at the Bharatiya Janata Party and the faction headed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde by stating the saffron flag needs to be in one's heart and not just in one's hands. The BJP and Shinde faction have often accused Thackeray of compromising on the ideals of Hindutva by joining hands with the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party for the sake of power. Speaking to his party workers at his residence, Thackeray said, "This is an opportunity given to us by God to save democracy in the country and preserve Hindutva. The saffron flag does not have to be just in one's hands, it has to be in one's heart. It is in my heart." Thackeray asked his party workers to come in a disciplined way to the Dussehra rally, which he will address at Shivaji Park on October 5. On the ongoing case in the Supreme Court and the Election Commission on which faction of the Sena is the original one, Thackeray said "we need to win this battle
The Maharashtra government will conduct an inquiry into alleged irregularities in the purchase of vehicles by the relief and rehabilitation department when the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Agahdi (MVA) was in power, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Wednesday. He made the announcement after a regional news channel (ABP Majha) claimed to have accessed documents that, it said, showed the relief and rehabilitation department purchased vehicles allegedly at inflated prices during the coronavirus pandemic. The channel, citing the documents, claimed one of the vehicles - a mini bus - was purchased for Rs three crore when its market price was Rs 25 lakh to Rs 30 lakh. The state government will conduct an inquiry into the allegations of buying vehicles at inflated prices. The details will come out in due course of time, Fadnavis, who holds the home portfolio, told reporters when asked about the suspected scam. The relief and rehabilitation department, then-headed by Congress ...
The Shiv Sena rebel faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday welcomed the Supreme Court's order as the "victory of democracy". Welcoming the SC's ruling that the Election Commission will continue to hear the plea of the Shinde faction seeking the poll symbol of Shiv Sena, its spokesperson Naresh Mhaske said, "the rights of the EC and its powers have remained intact due to the decision of the apex court". Kalyan MP and CM Shinde's son Shrikant Shinde hailed the ruling as the victory of democracy. "I hope they (Uddhav Thackeray camp) will learn a lesson. They will also realise which is the real Shiv Sena of Bal Thackeray," he added. Mhaske said 40 MLAs of Shiv Sena and 12 of the 18 MPs are with the Shinde group, besides more than 80% of the district chiefs, corporators and councillors in Maharashtra.
The Supreme Court Tuesday allowed the Election Commission to go ahead with the hearing of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde group's plea seeking recognition as the real Shiv Sena and allocation of the party's bow-and-arrow poll symbol to it. Justice D Y Chandrachud, heading a constitution bench, rejected the plea of the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction seeking to restrain the EC from deciding the Shinde group's claim over the original" Shiv Sena. We direct that there would be no stay of the proceedings before the Election Commission, the bench also comprising Justices M R Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and P S Narasimha said. PTI PKS http://ptinews.com/images/pti.jpg We bring the World to you" Disclaimer : This e-mail message may contain proprietary, confidential or legally privileged information for the sole use of the person or entity to whom this message was originally addressed. Please delete this e-mail, if it is not meant for you.
Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday expressed confidence that his faction will emerge victorious in the legal tussle with the rebel group led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. A Constitution bench of the Supreme Court is hearing an application of the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction seeking to restrain the Election Commission from deciding on the claim of the Shinde-led group over the "real" Shiv Sena. "I have full faith in the judiciary and we will win," former state CM Thackeray told the Sena workers from Osmanabad, which was renamed as Dharashiv in one of the final decisions of his government before it collapsed in June this year. He was addressing the cadre at his residence 'Matoshree' in Mumbai. The Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government had collapsed after a revolt by Shinde and 39 other legislators against the Sena leadership. Shinde was sworn in as the CM on June 30 along with BJP's Devendra Fadnavis as his deputy. On August 23, the Supreme Court ha
In a shot in the arm for the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction, the Bombay High Court on Friday granted it permission to hold its annual Dussehra rally at the iconic Shivaji Park ground in central Mumbai. For the Thackeray faction the development has a symbolic value as Shivaji Park is associated with the Sena since its birth, and his group is locked in a tussle with the rebel group led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to establish itself as the 'real' Shiv Sena. The Shinde faction had also sought permission to hold the rally at the same venue on the same day (October 5), and opposed the Thackeray group's petition in the high court. Welcoming the ruling, Thackeray appealed his supporters to maintain discipline while attending the rally on Dussehra. Thackeray supporters celebrated the ruling outside the Sena's headquarters in Dadar, close to the Shivaji Park, as well as near Thackeray's residence Matoshree in Bandra and in neighbouring Thane. A division bench of ...
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena on Thursday said the Mumbai civic body's decision to deny permission to it for Dussehra rally at the Shivaji Park here was expected and claimed it was "very bad script of the BJP". Former Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar, the spokesperson of the Thackeray-led Sena, also accused the BJP of trying to corner her party with the denial of permission for the rally on October 5. Ajay Choudhary, leader of the Thackeray-led faction in the Maharashtra Assembly, asserted that the party's annual congregation will be held at at the iconic ground in central Mumbai irrespective of permission from the civic body. He claimed the party will resort to "guerrilla warfare tactics" to hold its rally. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has denied permission to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena and rival party faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for the Dussehra rally at the Shivaji Park. Both the factions claim to be the "real Shiv Sena" and had