Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde launched a sharp attack at the Thackeray brothers and said that the existence of Marathi people in Mumbai will never be a threat, while reiterating that the Mahayuti will win the January 15 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections in the state.
The two leaders made the remarks while addressing a joint rally in Mumbai's Shivaji Park. Speaking during the rally, Fadnavis alleged that the strictness of Hindi was enforced in Maharashtra when Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was in power. The chief minister said the Thackeray brothers are claiming that the BMC elections will be the last fight to save the Marathi 'manush', but asserted that no one can dare to break Mumbai from Maharashtra.
"If you say that Marathi manush is in danger, what were you doing for 30 years? You come for the votes of Marathi manush, you should instead die of shame," he said.
"It’s not the Marathi manush whose existence is in danger. It’s you whose existence is at stake. I want to say this again that you are not the whole Maharashtra. You are not the only Marathi here. I want to reiterate that only Marathi person will be at the helm of affairs in BMC. Only Marathi will lead," he added.
'Mahayuti will win, saffron line has been drawn'
Deputy CM and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde also asserted that Mahayuti will win and it is a saffron line that has been drawn on a black stone. In his address, Shinde alleged that Uddhav Thackeray was in London when the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack happened and he didn't even return to India.
Continuing his attack, the deputy chief minister accused the Thackerays of making below-the-belt comments on him and Fadnavis. He even alleged that Uddhav Thackeray, when he was in power, had stalled the metro project in India's financial capital.
"Some people made emotional speeches in this election that this is the last election for saving the existence of 'Marathi manush'. I want to tell everyone that Marathi people’s existence was never in threat and will never be in threat in Mumbai. Mahayuti will come to power in BMC and this is a saffron line drawn on a black stone," Shinde said.
