Maharashtra News: Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray Slams CM Devendra Fadnavis Over 'Rudali' Remark, Defends Marathi Identity; VIDEO

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray has strongly reacted to the criticism directed at him by BJP leaders following his rally, which he attended alongside his cousin Raj Thackeray. The rally, centered on the issues of Marathi pride, has sparked a political firestorm, particularly with remarks from BJP's Mumbai president Ashish Shelar, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Jharkhand MP Nishikant Dubey.

In a brief interaction with the media on Monday after attending the State legislature, Uddhav Thackeray took to task BJP leaders for their alleged attempts to malign the Marathi community. He accused the BJP of labeling Marathi people inappropriately, particularly after the recent Pahalgam terrorist attack, which BJP leaders controversially linked to the Marathi community.

Uddhav remarked, “These people (BJP) are attributing the Pahalgam terrorist attack to the Marathi manus. These (BJP) are the real killers of Marathi. I also want to ask, where have those terrorists gone? Have they joined the BJP to save themselves? In reality, these BJP people are the killers of Marathi. They can't save Hindus from terrorist attacks and are now speaking from the side of those who hate Marathi people."

The dispute has become more heated following BJP’s Ashish Shelar's comparison between the Pahalgam attack and an incident involving the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), which allegedly targeted local shopkeepers in Mira-Bhayandar.

Uddhav also criticized Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for calling his speech a "Rudali" (a term referring to a mourner in Hindi culture). "Rudali is a Hindi word, not Marathi. There's no real BJP leader left in their party; they’ve borrowed this term from the opposition to criticize us," Uddhav said.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has started ramping up its attacks on the Thackeray cousins, especially with upcoming municipal elections in Mumbai on the horizon. Raj and Uddhav's recent move to unite under the banner of Marathi pride has caught the attention of BJP leaders, who are now aggressively targeting the Thackerays.

Nishikant Dubey, a BJP MP from Jharkhand, has gone a step further, questioning the legitimacy of Uddhav and Raj Thackeray’s claims to being heirs of their late father, Balasaheb Thackeray. Dubey challenged the duo to prove their mettle by confronting Hindi or Urdu-speaking individuals outside a Mumbai dargah, before he would consider them worthy successors to their father's legacy.

“The actions of Uddhav and Raj Thackeray are beneath contempt. We will resist them. If they have the courage, they should go to the dargah in Mahim and strike down a Hindi or Urdu-speaking person. Only then will I accept that they are true heirs of Balasaheb Thackeray,” Dubey commented.

BJP leaders have suggested that the Thackeray brothers’ unity is not an act of solidarity but an attempt to rally Marathi sentiment to gain political advantage.

Responding to BJP's attack, Uddhav Thackeray sharply retorted, “Marathi-speaking people, along with speakers of other languages, have coexisted peacefully in Mumbai. But BJP’s fire is being stoked by people like Dubey, who seem bent on creating discord.”

Uddhav further emphasized that while UBT Shiv Sena has never opposed the Hindi language or the hindi community, their primary opposition lies in the forced imposition of Hindi. “We are committed to helping all communities, without discrimination based on caste or religion.” he added.