Speak up on Karnataka occupied Maharashtra & statements by Bommai: Uddhav Thackeray to PM

Mumbai: Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) chief Mr Uddhav Thackeray on the eve of commissioning of the first phase of Samruddhi Mahamarg at Nagpur on Sunday, targeted Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi saying that he (PM) will try to cover up the statement made by Governor BS Koshyari (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is an icon of older times) at the function.  

Entire Maharashtra is waiting for your thoughts on Karnataka's stance: Uddhav Thackeray

‘’PM will give the slogan Shivaji Maharaj ki Jai. Then he will taunt me while recalling how the expressway was named after Balasaheb Thackeray as the Hinduhruday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray. But I have a request to him that he is the guardian of the country and must not speak like that. The PM must speak about Karnataka-occupied Maharashtra and also about the Karnataka Chief Minister’s claims (over villages in Jat tehsil and Akkalkot and Solapur cities) made out of arrogance. The entire Maharashtra is waiting for your thoughts on Karnataka's stance,’’ he said in his speech at the Marathwada Sahitya Sammelan held on Saturday. 

‘’Samruddhi Mahamarg should be developed. But if Karnataka closes the roads between Maharashtra and Karnataka for Maharashtra what will you say to the government there as Prime Minister? And what relief are you going to give to Maharashtra? Say this first and then inaugurate the expressway named after Shiv Sena Pramukh. Because the Shiv Sena chief himself was in jail for three months for the border issue. Shiv Sena's position is that Maharashtra must be united with Belgaum, Karwar, Nipani,’’ said Mr Thackeray. He added that the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena (led by Eknath Shinde) should clear its stand on the border issue.

Uddhav Thackeray slams Chandrakant Patil

Mr Thackeray targeted the Shinde camp saying that ‘’If people are being lured by giving boxes and if they want to do politics with boxes, declare that democracy is over.’’ (The obvious reference was defection of party MLAs after the alleged exchange of money, Rs 50 crore (Khoke). 

Mr Thackeray slammed the higher and technical education minister Mr Chandrakant Patil for his statement that Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, BR Ambedkar and Karamveer Bhadrak Patil begged to start schools. ‘’If you want to beg for education, do you want to beg even after learning?’’he asked. ‘’Who are you to tell us to beg? In which schools great saints like Eknath, Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram studied?’’he asked while taking a swipe at Mr Patil.