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Eknath Shinde made it clear in his Dussehra speech that his Shiv Sena intends to keep Hindutva and development as its twin planks going forward
Shinde accused Thackeray of betraying his father’s Hindutva legacy for the lure of power. (File pic/PTI)
Shiv Sena chairperson and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde launched a blistering attack on his former party head rival Uddhav Thackeray as well as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during the ruling outfit’s annual Dussehra rally, invoking the late Balasaheb Thackeray to underline his point.
Reacting sharply to Gandhi’s criticism of Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar, Shinde said such remarks were “completely unacceptable”. Taking a direct swipe at Uddhav, he declared: “Had Balasaheb been alive today and seen you supporting these statements against Savarkar, he would have hung you upside down without a second thought.”
Continuing his tirade, Shinde accused Thackeray of betraying his father’s Hindutva legacy for the lure of power. “What you are doing every day is destroying Balasaheb’s ideology. He never accepted the Congress or its ideology, but you stooped to the lowest level to become chief minister and joined hands with forces Balasaheb would have never tolerated,” Shinde charged. He further alleged that by aligning with the Congress, Uddhav had abandoned his Hindutva agenda and turned into a “double-faced Hindu”.
Shinde also hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s firm stance against Pakistan, especially after recent attacks on Indian citizens in Pahalgam. Expressing pride that his son, MP Shrikant Shinde, was part of an international delegation that highlighted India’s fight against terrorism, he said: “If there is a true lion in the country, it is Narendra Modi. He had the courage to give a befitting reply to Pakistan, while leaders like Rahul Gandhi question the bravery of our soldiers and make headlines in Pakistan.”
Beginning his address by recalling the relief work done by Shiv Sena workers during the recent floods, Shinde contrasted the NDA’s support for Maharashtra with what he called the Congress-UPA’s neglect. “During UPA rule, the state barely received Rs 2 lakh crore in assistance. But under Modi ji and Amit Shah, Maharashtra has received over Rs 10 lakh crore in the last decade,” he claimed.
The deputy CM also took credit for fast-tracking infrastructure projects stalled under the Uddhav-led government. “When I joined hands with Devendra Fadnavis, we were able to remove hurdles and push ahead projects like the Metro. After the 2024 victory, this is only the beginning of our second innings—more development is on the way,” he promised.
With fiery rhetoric invoking Balasaheb’s name and sharp barbs at both Congress and the Thackeray faction, Shinde made it clear that his Shiv Sena intends to keep Hindutva and development as its twin planks going forward.
October 03, 2025, 04:16 IST
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