Page 3 - Uddhav Thackeray

Kamra row: Saamana cites PM Modi's take on Shinde supporters' vandalism

Citing Prime Minister Modi's comment that "criticism is the soul of democracy", the Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday questioned the "extreme response" provoked by comedian Kunal Kamra's jokes targeting Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. An editorial in the Sena (UBT) mouthpiece 'Saamana' said Kamra's parody song had merely pointed to the rebellion led by Shinde against Uddhav Thackeray's leadership in 2022 and that it was an "old wine in a new bottle", yet the deputy CM's supporters vandalised a studio in Mumbai on Sunday. Notably, the rebellion had led to a split in the Shiv Sena and collapse of the Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government in the state in 2022. Shinde then joined hands with the BJP and formed government. The editorial in Saamana said 40 MLAs in Maharashtra had defected, leading to the formation of an "extra-constitutional" government. The episode was widely publicised, culminating in a legal battle in the Supreme Court, it pointed out. "Slogans about .

Disha Salian case: Rane seeks Aaditya's arrest, says Uddhav called twice

BJP leader Narayan Rane on Saturday claimed the then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray had called him twice and "requested" not to drag his son Aaditya Thackeray in the Disha Salian death case. Addressing media, Rane demanded that the police register an FIR and arrest the former minister (read Aaditya Thackeray). "When he was chief minister, Uddhav Thackeray called me twice during the COVID pandemic and requested me not to drag his son in the Disha Salian case," the BJP MP claimed. The former Union minister further claimed he told Thackeray that he had not named anybody and only referred to a minister in his press conference. "Register an FIR based on the evidence gathered so far and arrest him (Aaditya)," Rane said. Rane and Thackeray, both former chief ministers, are bitter rivals. Uddhav Thackeray had rubbished the claim and said his son Aaditya was not even remotely connected to the case. Aaditya too said the charges were an attempt to malign him and he would answer them in ...

Uddhav urges 'Jai Shivaji, Jai Bhavani' as counter to BJP's slogan

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday accused the BJP of poisoning society and asked his supporters to respond to the ruling party's favoured 'Jai Shri Ram' slogan with 'Jai Shivaji' and Jai Bhavani'. Addressing Sena (UBT) workers in the eastern suburb of Mulund, bordering Thane, he also drew a comparison between the current BJP-led regime and Nazi Germany dictator Adolf Hitler. If anyone says Jai Shri Ram, do not let the person leave without making sure that he says Jai Shivaji and Jai Bhavani. The BJP has poisoned our society. I am going to give the BJP a tough time for what they have done to our society, he said. Thackeray also questioned the BJP's commitment to the country, pointing to its stance on international sports events. He said that the BJP previously opposed sporting events with Pakistan, yet India now engages in cricket matches with both Pakistan and Bangladesh. The Sena (UBT) chief also responded to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's recent j

Raut slams Eknath Shinde for questioning Uddhav over skipping Maha Kumbh

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday hit out at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for raising questions over Uddhav Thackeray not attending the recently concluded Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj. Talking to reporters, Raut also criticised Shinde's political acumen and said the BJP should train the deputy CM on how to ask questions. Because of Shinde's blunders, the BJP and its leaders are getting "exposed" more than Uddhav Thackeray, the Rajya Sabha member claimed. Shinde's Shiv Sena is a constituent of the BJP-led ruling Mahayuti in the state. The Maha Kumbh was held at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh from January 13 to February 26. On Shinde targeting Sena (UBT) head and former CM Uddhav Thackeray for not attending the Maha Kumbh, Raut said, "Shinde should ask this question first to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. If Bhagwat, as a Hindu, has not visited the Kumbh to take a dip, why target Uddhav Thackeray?" Raut also said he had never seen pictures of RSS founder Dr K B Hedgewar,

People gave clear verdict on Sena, NCP with thumping Mahayuti win: Shah

The Mahayuti won 230 of the 288 Maharashtra assembly seats in the polls held in November, while the Sena and NCP factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar, respectively, fared poorly

Delhi election results: How can a leader become CM without being an MLA?

Delhi election results 2025: If speculation is to be believed, among the frontrunners are Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, Virendra Sachdeva, and Manoj Tiwari, among others

Even BJP didn't find its victory in Maha polls believable: Uddhav Thackeray

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday endorsed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's allegations of irregularities in Maharashtra assembly elections and claimed that even the ruling BJP did not find its victory believable. Gandhi, at his press conference in Delhi, "busted the farce" of the BJP-led Mahayuti's majority in the state, he said. Just as the Opposition could not believe that its defeat was genuine, the Bharatiya Janata Party did not find its own victory believable, said Thackeray. He also dared rival Shiv Sena chief and Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to try and poach MPs of the Sena (UBT). Alleging "numerous irregularities" in the Maharashtra polls, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi earlier in the day claimed there were more registered voters than the entire state's adult population, and more voters were added in five months between the Lok Sabha and state polls than in the five years before that. He also asserted that if the demand to the Election Commis

Why should Mumbaikars fund Dharavi land grab, questions Aaditya Thackery

He further pointed out that the Deonar land was already grabbed by the Adani Group, despite objections from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)

Ready to help reconcile two Senas, but hearts need to meet first: Shirsat

Maharashtra Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat has said he is ready to facilitate reconciliation between his party and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) but hearts must meet first. The Shiv Sena spokesperson, in an interview with a Marathi channel on Saturday, said he and many of his party colleagues share cordial ties with the Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders even today. Shirsat said he is pained by the split in the Bal Thackeray-founded Shiv Sena, which is now headed by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Asked if he was ready to facilitate any efforts towards rapprochement if he gets an opportunity, Shirsat said, I will do it, but hearts need to meet first. Leaders of the two parties still meet each other warmly, he said. But the distance has become such that if it's not bridged now, it will be difficult to mend ties later, Shirsat said. Asked whether Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, the son of former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, could facilitate a patch-up,

Return to ballot paper voting, EVM confuses voters: Uddhav Thackeray

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday said with EVMs, people have "lost the right" to know who they have voted for. Speaking at an event on National Voters' Day, on the eve of Republic Day, he said the country must revert to elections through ballot paper. The former Maharashtra chief minister also took swipes at the BJP and its predecessors, stating that freedom of the country is now in the hands of those who had no connection with the freedom struggle. "They participated neither in the Indian freedom struggle, nor in the Samyukta Maharashtra movement," he said, referring to the movement for the formation of the Maharashtra state. There is no value to voting any longer, Thackeray said, adding that whether EVMs can be tampered with or not is a technical question, but all the institutions have been captured. "When polling took place through ballot paper, we knew who we voted for," Thackeray said. Though there is Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) along with EVM,

Shiv Sena (UBT) to go alone in local bodies elections, says Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday said his party will contest the upcoming elections to the various local bodies alone. Talking to reporters, the Rajya Sabha MP said the INDIA bloc and Maha Vikas Aghadi alliances were for the Lok Sabha and assembly polls. "In an alliance, workers of individual parties don't get opportunities, and it hampers organisational growth. We will contest polls to the Mumbai, Thane, Nagpur and other municipal corporations, zilla parishads and panchayats on our strength," he said. He said party chief Uddhav Thackeray gave the party indications that it should go alone. Hitting out at Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar for indulging in a blame game over the MVA's defeat in the state assembly, Raut said those who don't believe in consensus and compromise have no right to be in an alliance. He further claimed that the INDIA bloc did not hold a single meeting after the Lok Sabha elections. "We were not able to appoint even a convenor for INDIA bloc. I

Uddhav Thackeray meets Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis in Nagpur

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray met Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis in Nagpur.

Simultaneous polls proposal a bid to divert focus from key issues: Uddhav

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said the Centre's move to introduce a bill on simultaneous polls in the Lok Sabha was an attempt to divert attention from issues plaguing the country. Addressing reporters in Nagpur, Thackeray demanded a transparent election process before implementation of the 'One Nation One Election' proposal. He also said the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government should pay Rs 2,100 per month to women under the Ladki Bahin scheme as promised before the state assembly polls held last month. Currently, women in the state get Rs 1,500 per month under the scheme. On Tuesday, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal moved in the Lok Sabha two bills which lay down the mechanism to hold simultaneous polls in the country, with the opposition dubbing the draft laws as an attack on the basic structure. Meghwal moved for introduction the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, popularly being referred to as the Bill on "one nation,

Spoken with Railways, Dadar Hanuman temple won't be demolished: BJP leaders

A day after Uddhav Thackeray slammed the BJP over a demolition notice issued by the Railways to a temple outside Mumbai's Dadar station, ruling party leaders claimed on Saturday that they have got it stayed. BJP legislator Mangal Prabhat Lodha said the Dadar Hanuman temple will be protected. Lodha visited the shrine near Platform No. 12 at Dadar East, adjacent to the Central Railway station. He interacted with the temple trustees and joined the aarti'. MLA Kalidas Kolambkar and members of Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad were also present at the temple. Lodha said he had spoken with Union Railway Minister Ashwnin Vaishnaw and an order has been issued to halt the demolition. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Thackeray on Friday claimed that Railways had issued a fatwa' (edict) to bring down the 80-year-old Hanuman temple built by porters. Taking a dig at the BJP's ek hai to safe hai slogan, he said even temples are not safe in the saffron party's regime. After his temple visit, Lodha, wh

BJP's Rahul Narwekar set to become Maharashtra Assembly speaker unopposed

BJP's Rahul Narwekar is poised to be elected unopposed as the speaker of the Maharashtra legislative assembly, with the opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) deciding not to put up a contest. Narwekar, who was the speaker in the 14th assembly for two and a half years and gave the key verdicts tied to the Shiv Sena and NCP, was reelected from the Colaba assembly seat in Mumbai. Accompanied by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputies Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, Narwekar filed his nomination before the legislature secretary Jitendra Bhole on Sunday. MVA leaders met Fadnavis and urged him to follow the protocol of giving the deputy speaker's post to the opposition. They also sought the post of the leader of the opposition. The speaker's election will be formally announced in the House on Monday. This will be followed by a floor test to prove the new government's strength. Governor CP Radhakrishnan will then address the joint session of both Houses of the state ...

Stop misleading people about EVMs, accept poll mandate: Shinde to Oppn

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday hit out at the opposition, accusing it of misleading people about electronic voting machines and not accepting their mandate. Talking to reporters, Shinde said the ruling Mahayuti alliance won the November 20 assembly polls because of its work, and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi must accept the people's mandate and support the government in development works. The Mahayuti combine of the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP swept the recently held polls, winning 230 out of 288 seats, while the opposition bloc of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) managed just 46 seats. The opposition parties have alleged irregularities with EVMs for its poll losses and demanded the use of ballot papers. Slamming the opposition, the Shiv Sena chief said, "When you win, there is no EVM scam, but the machine becomes bad when you lose. This is not the right approach." He said the opposition must accept the people's mandate that they have been decisively

Oppn mislead people on EVMs instead of accepting defeat: Mahayuti leaders

The ruling Mahayuti alliance on Sunday accused leaders of the opposition parties of misleading people about electronic voting machines (EVMs) instead of accepting the losses it faced in the Maharashtra assembly elections. The November 20 elections saw the Mahayuti alliance of the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP achieve a landslide victory by clinching 230 out of 288 assembly seats. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), managed just 46 seats. The opposition bloc has since claimed irregularities in the EVMs and demanded the use of ballot papers. Speaking to reporters, Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant slammed the opposition for indulging in double standards. "It is because of the MVA's double standards that the Samajwadi Party has parted from the alliance. Yesterday, they boycotted the oath-taking ceremony, and today, they will hopefully take oath as members, which will again highlight their double standards," he said. He claimed the opposition

SP decides to walk out of MVA after Babri demolition post by Uddhav's aide

The Samajwadi Party announced on Saturday that it would walk out of the opposition MVA after Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray's close aide hailed the demolition of Babri mosque and a related newspaper advertisement. The Samajwadi Party has two MLAs in Maharashtra. "An advertisement was given by Shiv Sena (UBT) in a newspaper congratulating those who demolished Babri masjid. His (Uddhav Thackeray) aide has also posted on X hailing the demolition of the mosque," Maharashtra SP unit chief Abu Azmi said. "We are quitting the MVA. I am speaking to (Samajwadi Party president) Akhilesh Singh Yadav," Azmi told PTI. The SP's move comes in response to Sena (UBT) MLC Milind Narvekar's post on Babri masjid demolition. Narvekar has posted a photo of the demolition of the mosque accompanied by Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray's quote" "I am proud of those who did this". The Shiv Sena (UBT) secretary also posted images of Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray and himself in the post. "If an

Maha CM oath ceremony highlights: Devendra Fadnavis becomes Maharashtra Chief Minister for 3rd time

Devendra Fadnavis oath taking ceremony live: Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde had indicated that he was reluctant to join the new government as deputy CM. Catch all the latest live updates here

BJP legislature party leader will be finalised by new MLAs: Vijay Rupani

Former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, one of the two BJP observers for its Maharashtra legislature party meeting, on Tuesday said the name of the legislature party leader will be finalised after talks with the party's newly-elected MLAs. Rupani, who arrived in Mumbai late this evening for the meeting BJP's crucial legislature party to be held on Wednesday, said if there is unanimity, then only one name will be selected. The BJP has achieved remarkable success in the November 20 Maharashtra elections, securing 132 out of 288 seats, marking its best performance in the state so far. Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is being seen as the frontrunner for the top post in the new BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP government. Speaking to reporters, Rupani said, "The government will be formed. Discussions with the elected MLAs will take place tomorrow. One name will be finalised and it will be announced later." He said the process of finalising the leader of the BJP's legislative party follows