Uddhav Thackeray slams Amit Shah’s Hindutva, alleges Fadnavis neglected Vidarbha region

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray launched a scathing attack on the Fadnavis government at a press conference in Nagpur on Thursday, saying that holding the state assembly’s winter session in Nagpur has now become a mere formality, as serious issues facing Vidarbha and the entire state are being completely ignored.

Significantly, Uddhav’s criticism on Thursday practically mirrored exactly what senior BJP leader and former Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar stated against his own government on Wednesday, alleging an imbalance in the distribution of government funds to the Vidarbha region and neglect of the Vidarbha-Marathwada region. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis himself happens to be an elected representative from the Nagpur South West constituency, which falls in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.

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Targeting Fadnavis, Uddhav Thackeray said, “I feel pity for him. Who you used to be and what you have become? You have brought all these corrupt people close to you, under your protection. This is not the culture of Maharashtra.”

Reacting to BJP leaders’ statements on Hindutva, Uddhav Thackeray said, “We don’t need to learn Hindutva from anybody. Amit Shah’s cabinet already has beef-eating ministers like Kiren Rijiju, so Shah must introspect. Kiren Rijiju, who is a minister in your cabinet, said that he eats beef. If you say you promote Hindutva, will you ask your beef-eating minister to resign?”

“When he welcomed a man involved in the murder of a sadhu into the BJP, what did he do to Hindutva? Amit Shah should examine his own Hindutva before teaching Hindutva to others,” Uddhav Thackeray said.

Uddhav Thackeray also questioned the state government’s ‘Laadli Bahin Yojana’, asking when women will receive Rs 2,100 per month, which was promised before the elections.

“This year’s floods have caused huge losses to farmers, destroying their land. The government announced a package, but its outcome remains unclear. The state government hastily submitted a proposal for central assistance, but it is important to know the basis for the proposal and the amount requested,” Uddhav Thackeray said in Nagpur on Thursday.

Uddhav Thackeray also questioned the crop insurance scheme, saying that farmers received no help from insurance companies. He asked what action the state government has taken against crop insurance companies that failed to help farmers.

Attacking the delay in selecting the Leader of the Opposition, Thackeray said, “Is the government afraid of the opposition? The Leader of the Opposition hasn’t been selected yet. The government is completely preoccupied with local elections, and no one is concerned about farmers.”

Targeting the Chief Minister, Uddhav Thackeray alleged that Chief Minister Fadnavis and his ministers are busy covering up each other’s corruption and giving one another clean chits.