'Compromised Hindutva': CM Shinde slams Uddhav's silence on PFI ban & for 'defaming RSS'

Maharashtra on Wednesday witnessed a massive faceoff during the Dussehra rallies between Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the Uddhav Thackeray factions of Shiv Sena. Targetting Thackeray, CM Shinde accused him of being a puppet of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress during the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) regime as he never took a stand for 'Hindutva' and compromised his ideologies just for the sake of power. At his rally that took place at the MMRDA ground at Bandra Kurla Complex, Shinde further questioned Uddhav's silence over the PFI ban and slammed him for 'drawing a comparison' of RSS with the now-banned radical outfit.

CM Shinde slams Uddhav Thackeray over 'Hindutva'

"During the MVA regime, when Uddhav was Maharashtra Chief Minister he never took a stand for Hindutva and instead spoke the language of NCP and Congress. In Maharashtra, when the slogans of Pakistan Zindabad were being raised, Thackeray did not say anything. Even when PFI was banned, Thackeray didn't utter a word as he didn't want to make Congress and NCP feel bad".

CM Shinde added, "I supported the decision of PM Modi and Amit Shah. I promise that our government will crush PFI as well as its affiliates and throw them out of Maharashtra".

CM Shinde further went on to slam Uddhav stating, "Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has a big contribution in uplifting the country. Whenever there has been any problem in the country, the organisation has always remained ahead and taken a stand. People like Thackeray compare RSS with PFI, the demand for a ban on RSS is very funny".

Shinde also asserted that his rebellion was not an act of "betrayal", but a "revolt". "We did not do 'gaddari' (betrayal), but this (rebellion) was 'gadar' (revolt). We are not 'gaddar' (traitors), but soldiers of Balasaheb (Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray). You sold Balasaheb principles. Who are real traitors who betrayed Hindutva for the sake of power?  We took this step (rebellion) to save the Shiv Sena, preserve the principles of Balasaheb, Hindutva, and for the betterment of Maharashtra. And we took it publicly".

For the first time since the Shiv Sena's inception 56 years ago, two Dussehra rallies were held in Mumbai on Wednesday evening by the party's rival factions -- led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray -- in what is being billed as a show of strength by both camps after a change in government in June. Both the camps had claimed that they are taking forward the ideals of Bal Thackeray, who was known to make fiery speeches at the Dussehra rallies at Shivaji Park year after year till his death in 2012.