Uddhav Thackeray calls BJP 'amoeba', says if it wins BMC it will give city to Adani | Mumbai News - The Times of India

MUMBAI: The BJP will surrender the city to Adani if it wins the BMC election, said Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray at the party Dussehra rally in a rain-soaked Shivaji Park on Thursday. The statement about Adani, an industrialist the opposition claims is a crony of the BJP, came as a counter-attack to the recent BJP statement that if the opposition came to power in the BMC a "Khan will become mayor of Mumbai". "When an amoeba enters your stomach, it hurts, similarly BJP's amoeba has entered society," he said.You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Gold Rate Today in Mumbai | Silver Rate Today in MumbaiThackeray said the Shiv Sena (UBT) would expose the corruption in the BMC under the Mahayuti govt. He spoke of bringing out a white paper on BMC finances.He slammed the BJP for transferring money to the accounts of women in Bihar just before the election there, saying the BJP was creating a class of "salaried voters". He asked whether people wanted to become salaried voters or self-respecting voters.Thackeray reiterated that he and his cousin Raj Thackeray had come together to stay together. He said the Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill would be misused as a law, and cited the example of the Centre detaining Sonam Wangchuk in Leh under the National Security Act. Thackeray said Wangchuk was a patriot for the BJP and celebrated by it till he was praising PM Narendra Modi.He hit out at Dy CM Eknath Shinde without naming him. "We know the story of the donkey donning a tiger skin. But I have seen the picture of the donkey wearing the saffron shawl of Balasaheb (Thackeray) for the first time," he said. Thackeray attacked Modi for describing India's win over Pakistan in the Asia Cup as Operation Sindoor on the games field. "There was a cricket match with Pakistan in the Asia Cup. After winning it, the person who compares cricket to war is shameless. You yourself said that in Pahalgam, people were shot after asking about their religion. Then, on the one hand, Hindus are not safe when your govt is in power. You play cricket with a country that is a terrorist state," he said.Attacking Union home minister Amit Shah and his cricket administrator son, Jay, without naming them, Thackeray said the father plays the role of patriotism and the son plays cricket with Pakistan.He criticised CM Devendra Fadnavis for not declaring a wet drought in the state and demanded Rs 50,000 per hectare aid for farmers. "When our govt was in power, he was shouting that we should declare a wet drought. Now he is saying that wet drought is not an official word. Put your official terms in the trash, farmers should be given Rs 50,000 per hectare as help. When we were in power, I had waived off the loans of farmers as a duty. We had started helping farmers. But traitors stole their money and fled to Surat and Guwahati," he said.Thackeray said Modi asked for a formal proposal from the state govt for giving aid to farmers and Fadnavis was still studying the issue. "But in Bihar there are elections, so PM Modi transferred Rs 10,000 into accounts of all women. Was any proposal sent from Bihar? Then why is he asking for a proposal from Maharashtra?" he said.He said the BJP had criticised his son Aaditya's decision about giving the city a nightlife but now it too was doing the same. "Those who go to Macau and enjoy nightlife were criticising us," he said.Thackeray said he would expose the BJP. "I am warning BJP that you should not teach us Hindutva. We will not stop until we display your photos wearing skull caps. BJP workers should ask their seniors when to tie rakhi from Muslim sisters and when to shout batenge toh katenge slogans. Leave the pretense of Hindutva and the pretense of patriotism now. I have already answered on July 5. We (Raj and Uddhav) have come together to be together. We are not against Hindi. But if injustice is done to Marathi, we will not remain silent. After the formation of the states on the basis of language, the Marathi people got Maharashtra. Mumbai was obtained by shedding blood for Maharashtra. If you are going to put it in the pockets of the traders, we will tear your pockets. We do not want to disturb anyone. But if you come after us, we will not remain silent," he said.Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut took a dig at Shinde and the Dussehra rally of his party, the Shiv Sena, at the Nesco grounds in Goregaon. He said there are only two Dussehra rallies in Maharashtra — one of RSS in Nagpur, which has completed 100 years, and the other at Shivaji Park, initiated by Hinduhriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray, now completing 60-65 years."Who is Shinde? The BJP and Amit Shah have shown Maharashtra how a rally of traitors is organised," Raut said.