Aaditya Thackeray slams Eknath Shinde, calls him a ‘betrayer of Maharashtra’

Shiv Sena UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray launched a sharp attack on Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday accusing him of not only orchestrating a split in the Shiv Sena but also hindering Maharashtrarsquos industrial growthAs per ANI Thackeray criticised Shinde for allegedly weakening the states economic development and reaffirmed his refusal to acknowledge or honour him Speaking to the media Thackeray strongly opposed the decision to award Shinde the Mahadji Shinde Rashtra Gaurav Puraskar which was presented by Nationalist Congress Party NCP chief Sharad Pawar a key ally of the Maha Vikas Aghadi MVAAccording to ANI reports Thackeray said I will not talk about his Sharad Pawars age seniority and principles It is our principle never to honour a person like this Eknath Shinde He has not only split our party and family but also harmed Maharashtras industrialisation Jo Maharashtra drohi hai woh desh drohi bhi hota hai A betrayer of Maharashtra is also a betrayer of the nationThe award was presented to Shinde in New Delhi on Tuesday during the 98th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan an annual literary and cultural conference dedicated to Marathi language and literature The event was attended by several senior leaders including Union Minister for Communications and Development of the North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya ScindiaThe Mahadji Shinde Rashtriya Gaurav Award named in honour of the legendary Maratha military commander includes a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh a certificate of honour a memento and the traditional Shindeshahi turbanGovernments keep changing but friendships continue Aditya Thackeray on Kejriwal meetShiv Sena UBT leader Aditya Thackeray metAam Aadmi PartyAAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday describing the interaction as a gesture of friendship However he also expressed serious concerns regarding electoral fairness alleging irregularities in the voting process across multiple statesGovernments come and go but relationships remain Thackeray remarked after the meeting as per PTI reports He was accompanied by senior Shiv Sena UBT leaders Sanjay Raut and Priyanka Chaturvedi The leaders discussed the recent Delhi Assembly elections and deliberated on the future of the opposition INDIA blocThackeray accused theElection CommissionEC of largescale manipulation in voters lists claiming that such irregularities were observed not just in Maharashtra but also in Haryana Odisha and Delhi The Election Commission has deprived people of their right to vote It is not even willing to discuss this issue he stated He further asserted that the opposition would formally raise this matter to ensure accountabilityHighlighting the importance of electoral transparency Thackeray stated Free and fair elections are essential for the country According to PTI he stressed that any compromises in the electoral process could undermine the democratic structure of the nationThe February 5 Delhi Assembly elections saw a decisive victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP which secured 48 out of 70 seats while AAP managed to win 22 The Congress which is also a part of the opposition INDIA bloc alongside Shiv Sena UBT and AAP failed to win a single seat for the third consecutive electionAAP has alleged that the Congress sabotaged its chances in at least 13 seats further straining ties within the opposition alliance The meeting between Thackeray and Kejriwal is being seen as an attempt to foster unity within the INDIA bloc and strategise for future electionsShiv Sena UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray meets Rahul Gandhi in Delhi amid rumblings within MVAShiv Sena UBT leaderAditya Thackeraymet with Congress leader and Lok Sabharsquos LoP Rahul Gandhi amid rumblings in the opposition MVA after NCP SP chief Sharad Pawar felicitated Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde PTI reportedHe met Gandhi in New Delhi late on WednesdayAs per PTI the duo has also learnt to have discussed allegations against theElection Commission of IndiaECI in the conduct of electionsAditya Thackeray is also scheduled to meet AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal whose party lost the Delhi assembly elections held last weekMaharashtras opposition coalition Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA has been in turmoil after Sharad Pawar handed out the Mahadji Shinde Rashtra Gaurav Puraskar to Eknath Shinde who had walked away with the majority of legislators of the thenundivided Shiv Sena in 2022 which toppled Uddhav Thackerays government PTI reportedShinde became the chief minister of Maharashtra with support from the BJP and subsequently gained control of the Shiv SenaThe Mahayuti alliance consisting of the BJP Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawarled Nationalist Congress Party NCP won theMaharashtra elections 2024 giving a major blow to the MVA which was hoping to repeat their 2024 Lok Sabha elections performance PTI reportedThe Uddhav Thackerayled Shiv Sena has termed Shinde as a traitor and was shocked to see Pawar felicitate him with an award instituted by Punebased NGO SarhadThose who are antiMaharashtra are antinationals We cannot honour such persons who indulge in such dirty work This goes against our principles I am not aware of his Pawars principles Aditya Thackeray said PTI reportedThe BJP came to power in Delhi winning 48 out of the 70 assembly seats in the city while AAP managed to secure 22 in the assembly elections held last weekAccording to PTI the KejriwalledAam Aadmi PartyAAP has been alleging that the Congress which drew a blank for the third consecutive elections sabotaged its chances of getting at least 13 seatsIn last years Maharashtra assembly election the Mahayuti bagged 235 seats in the 288member House while the opposition MVA managed 50With inputs from Agencies