In an address to party workers in Maharashtra's Pune on Saturday, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Union Minister Amit Shah. Thackeray accused the BJP of engaging in "power jihad" by breaking political parties to stay in government and likened Amit Shah to Ahmad Shah Abdali, the Afghan ruler who defeated the Marathas in the Battle of Panipat.
Countering Shah's earlier remark that referred to Thackeray as the head of the "Aurangzeb Fan Club," Thackeray retorted by calling Shah the "political descendent" of Abdali. Thackeray stated, "From today, I will call Amit Shah Abdali. If you call me a fake descendant, I will call you Abdali."
Addressing the splitting of the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Thackeray accused the BJP of breaking parties to consolidate power. "If Muslims are with us after we explain to them our Hindutva, then according to the BJP, we are the Aurangzeb Fan Club. What you are doing is power jihad," Thackeray said.
Uddhav Thackeray's 'Revdi' Jibe At Eknath Shinde-Led Maharashtra Govt
He also criticised the Eknath Shinde government over the 'Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin' scheme, accusing it of bribing voters with "revdis" (freebies).
In the rally in Pune, Thackeray remarked, "Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu are not Hindutva-vaadi. Amit Shah should explain what kind of Hindutva he follows. Abdali's descendant came to Pune and spoke. Does Amit Shah accept the RSS's Hindutva? BJP has started power jihad. Power jihad means stealing people to form a government. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj did not teach us to burn others' houses. Shankaracharya said that traitors are not Hindus. You have betrayed (us)."
Thackeray also targeted Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. He dismissed Fadnavis's claims and stated, "Now the battle is in the field, I said in Mumbai 'either I stay or you stay'. Here is a poster. In the photo, a Kalingad (Uddhav Thackeray calls Devendra Fadnavis watermelon) is placed at my feet. Some thought I challenged him (Devendra Fadnavis). But, you don't challenge the clods, you have to crush them with your finger."
"You are not big enough for me to challenge. Some thought I challenged him...Also, we should understand who I am and who he (Devendra Fadnavis) is. I am cultured Maharashtra and you are the group of robbers," Thackeray added, as quoted by news agency ANI.
In response, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis reiterated Shah's "Aurangzeb fan club" jibe saying, "Uddhav Thackeray is a frustrated person and this frustration has affected his mind badly. After today's speech, he has shown that he is indeed a member of the Aurangzeb fan club."