Pune: Uddhav Thackeray launched a sharp critique against Union Home Minister Amit Shah, drawing historical parallels and questioning the BJP's commitment to Hindutva.
Thackeray pointed out that while historical figures like Shaista Khan learned from their defeats, Amit Shah returned to Maharashtra, allegedly to witness the impact of the BJP's actions on the state's people. He controversially referred to Shah as the "political heir of Ahmad Shah Abdali."
Thackeray further challenged the BJP's narrative on Hindutva, questioning their alliances with leaders like Mehbooba Mufti, Chandrababu Naidu, and Nitish Kumar, and accusing them of hypocrisy. He declared his intention to refer to Amit Shah as Ahmad Shah Abdali, criticizing the BJP's attacks on his own party and its leaders.
"But why did they (Amit Shah) return? They came to see the marks left on the people of Maharashtra by the blows they received. The political heir of Ahmad Shah Abdali had come to Pune. That was Ahmad Shah, and this is Amit Shah. The political heir of Ahmad Shah came here to move around.
Should we now learn Hindutva from those who eat Nawaz Sharif's cake? They said that Shiv Sena abandoned Hindutva. We haven't abandoned Hindutva. As Shankaracharya said, traitors cannot be Hindus. You betrayed us," Uddhav Thackeray lashed out.
"Are we anti-Hindu if we allied with Congress? Then why did your political forefather Shyama Prasad Mukherjee sit with the Muslim League? They formed a government in Jammu and Kashmir with Mehbooba Mufti.
Even today, they allied with Chandrababu Naidu. Is Naidu a Hindutva proponent? Is Nitish Kumar a Hindutva proponent? You turn a blind eye to them and criticize us," questioned Uddhav Thackeray.
"I will call Amit Shah Ahmad Shah Abdali from now on. You didn't feel ashamed when you called me a fake offspring. Your tongue didn't stutter when calling me an Aurangzeb fan club, then why should I hesitate to call you Ahmad Shah Abdali?
Do you want this Ahmad Shah Abdali or a Shiv Sainik holding the saffron flag? The people should decide this," appealed Uddhav Thackeray.
"The number of marks on you in the Lok Sabha will be more in the Assembly results. After that, your movement will stop permanently. Just as Aurangzeb's grave was built in Maharashtra, we will build the BJP's grave here," said Uddhav Thackeray.