Uddhav Thackeray compromised beliefs to be CM: Amit Shah

Home Minister Amit Shah, who is in Maharashtra on a three-day tour, took potshots at the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena claiming that the latter 'compromised' its principles after the 2019 polls and joined hands with the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

"There was never any agreement with the Shiv Sena over a power-sharing deal. Once our alliance came to power in 2019, they became greedy and compromised their principles for power and joined hands with the Congress and NCP as he (Uddhav) wanted to be the chief minister," Shah said in a rally in Kolhapur.

Throughout his two-day tour, Shah has been taking potshots at Uddhav Thackeray accusing him of mortgaging his party to the NCP. Shah claimed that the Shiv Sena and BJP would fight the assembly and Lok Sabha polls together and expressed happiness that the real Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) has got the party's name and symbol.


In his Kolhapur speech, Shah emphasised that the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance should get all the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. According to him, the need for the BJP to get elected was important if India was to become a prosperous, powerful and great nation.

Shah's tour has been notable, especially since the BJP has been particularly emphasising the party's love for legendary warrior king Shivaji. On Sunday, Shah inaugurated 'Shiv Srushti', the first phase of a theme park dedicated to the life and achievements of Shivaji. In his speech, Shah spoke of how Shivaji's life had inspired people like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and him. "When Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, he had organised 'Janta Raja' a play on Shivaji's life, in every district. I myself had organised the programme in eight districts and we had seen the enthusiasm of people who became devotees of Shivaji after the play was staged," he said.

He quoted former Congress leader Yashwantrao Chavan, saying, "If Shivaji was not there, it would not be hard to find the Pakistan border, as it would be probably just outside yours and my doorstep".