The Shiv Sena (UBT) expressed strong disapproval of its ally and NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar for felicitating Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray criticised Sharad Pawar for honouring Eknath Shinde. “I won’t comment on his (Sharad Pawar’s) age, seniority, or principles. However, it is our principle never to honour someone like Eknath Shinde. He has not only divided our party and family but also weakened Maharashtra’s industrial backbone. Jo Maharashtra drohi hai, woh desh drohi bhi hota hai…”, Aaditya Thackeray said, ANi reported.
Shinde was honoured in Delhi on Tuesday by the Mahadji Shinde Rashtra Gaurav Puraskar at the hands of Pawar on the occasion of the 98th Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan. While Pawar’s party said it was a programme about literature and not politics, the BJP termed the felicitation an NCP (SP) president’s admission that Shinde was a better chief minister than Uddhav Thackeray.
On Wednesday, Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut said honouring a person who split the Shiv Sena and “weakened Maharashtra” has hurt the sentiments of Marathi people.
This is perhaps the first time that the Sena (UBT) launched a direct attack on Pawar, considered the chief architect of the MVA, an unlikely alliance of three parties with divergent political views, formed in 2019.
During the event, Pawar said Shinde was one of the leaders who critically took Thane’s politics in the right direction. He also said that, in the past 50 years, Shinde has been a well-versed leader in civic issues, PTI reported.
What perhaps upset the Sena (UBT) the most was Pawar’s praise of Shinde, a bête-noire of the party. The Sena (UBT), especially Raut, party chief Uddhav Thackeray and leader Aaditya Thackeray have been highly critical of Shinde.
Sena (UBT), NCP (SP) and Congress are partners in the MVA, which was in power in the state from November 2019 to June 2022.