Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has hit back at the Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) and Congress for making derogatory comments against him, asserting that the people of Maharashtra will respond through their votes in the upcoming elections.
Addressing a rally in Pathri, Parbhani, on Tuesday, Shinde said, “The UBT Chiranjeevi insulted me yesterday. But I will not answer him. People will answer them by voting. This is not the culture of Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray, but the language of Congress.”
Shinde’s remarks came in response to comments made by Aaditya Thackeray, who had accused him of betraying his mentor and cheating Maharashtra by allying with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“I have never seen such a shameless and despicable person like him (Shinde). He stabbed the back of the person who gave him everything. He cheated Maharashtra and ran to Gujarat. Now all industries are going to Gujarat while farmers in the state are committing suicide,” Aaditya Thackeray had said.
Shinde, however, maintained that he would not stoop to the level of personal attacks and instead focus on development work for the state. He said, “This is not an insult to me. It is an insult to Shiv Sainiks who believe in Balasaheb Thackeray. This is an insult to the farmer… they can’t see that a farmer’s son became the chief minister. This is an insult to the common man. He (Aaditya) was born with a golden spoon. This is not Balasaheb’s culture, but that of the Congress and with the language of Mani Shankar Aiyar. They have become crazy since they left the state government. I will not say anything about it. Now the people will speak through the ballot box.”
Shinde further slammed the Congress and UBT, accusing them of being more interested in “cuts, commission, and collection” than in serving the people. He contrasted their approach with the BJP-led government’s focus on “nation first” and highlighted the progress made in various sectors under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
“For them, corruption comes first, but for us, it’s nation first. Before 2014, India was witnessing bomb blasts and riots, but after that, there haven’t been any. Every community suffered due to these issues. The government can’t sit at home and run Facebook live campaigns. We are ground-level workers,” Shinde said.
Taking a dig at Uddhav Thackeray, Shinde said, “He is dreaming of becoming the prime minister, but it is not easy… one needs to work day and night… one can’t run the government online while sitting at home.”
Shinde also highlighted the development work undertaken by his government in Parbhani, including the Jalna Nanded Expressway and the Shaktipeeth Expressway. He assured voters that an industrial colony would also be established in the surrounding area.
“Will you vote for the person who opposes development? Parbhani MP Sanjay Jadhav of UBT is contesting the election now. Meanwhile, we are working on the Jalna Nanded Expressway and have planned the Shaktipeeth Expressway. We are also planning an Industrial colony in the surrounding area,” Shinde said.
