MUMBAI: In a highly charged emotional appeal on the historic 60th Foundation Day of Shiv Sena (UBT), party national president Uddhav Thackeray declared his willingness to step down from the top leadership posts if the political cadre and workers genuinely believed the allegations being leveled against him by political rivals. He asserted that if anyone within the organization possessed the required capability and courage to steer the party forward more dynamically, he was completely prepared to relinquish his leadership role immediately.
Thackeray strongly claimed that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its political factions were relentlessly targeting him as well as ‘Matoshree’, the traditional residence of the Thackeray family. “I have been spearheading the party as its president for a long time and am fully prepared to leave this chair for anyone if you feel that the heavy allegations leveled against me are true. However, the person who aspires to take over the reigns of this historic party must be highly capable. My only non-negotiable condition is that the person should not be a traitor. This organization was built through the immense sweat and hard work of thousands of Shiv Sainiks, and its legacy cannot be handed over to thieves,” Thackeray stated. He also used the forum to tender an apology to the general voters over the recent defection of a few Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha Members of Parliament.
Addressing the vast gathering of grassroots party workers, Thackeray noted that Indian democracy is currently under severe threat because unethical political practices like poaching opposition lawmakers are being celebrated instead of condemned, leaving the general public completely confused between right and wrong. He highlighted that the Indian National Congress had never plotted to destroy the Shiv Sena (UBT), whereas the BJP was actively trying to eliminate it despite the Sena historically offering a crucial helping hand to the saffron party to establish its initial political base in Maharashtra. “In Maharashtra, we gave them a helping hand when they were practically considered political untouchables in the state. And today, the very same BJP wants to destroy our identity,” he heavily criticized.
Warning the nation of current administrative trends, the former Maharashtra Chief Minister stated that India is dangerously moving toward a restrictive “one nation, one party” system, which would completely subvert the democratic process. He added that the country’s youth, particularly Gen Z, are heavily losing faith in the system and are actively raising their voices against the ruling establishment’s flawed administrative policies. Pointing out the stark irony of current Indian politics, Thackeray remarked that while poor farmers are forced to launch massive struggles just to secure a basic Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their agricultural produce, corrupt legislators and politicians are allegedly being poached and bought at fixed market rates.
Reiterating that the core spirit of the Shiv Sainiks remains unbroken despite recent political setbacks, Thackeray stated that the party was not born merely to enjoy administrative power but as a vital socio-political movement to defend the pride of Maharashtra. He completely rubbished claims made by rebel MPs that the Shiv Sena (UBT) would eventually merge into the Congress party, pointing out that the BJP currently lacks an absolute majority of its own in Parliament and is forced to poach opposition MPs to artificially boost its numbers. Defending his own extensive election campaigns across the state, he concluded by invoking the glorious socio-cultural legacies of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, Shahu Maharaj, and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, vowing to preserve the ideological purity of the party inherited from his father and grandfather.
ലഘു വിവരണം
ശിവസേന (യു.ബി.ടി) രൂപീകരണത്തിന്റെ 60-ാം വാർഷിക വേളയിൽ, തനിക്കെതിരായ രാഷ്ട്രീയ ആരോപണങ്ങൾ ശരിയാണെന്ന് അണികൾക്ക് തോന്നുകയാണെങ്കിൽ പാർട്ടി അധ്യക്ഷസ്ഥാനം രാജിവെക്കാൻ തയ്യാറാണെന്ന് ഉദ്ധവ് താക്കറെ പ്രഖ്യാപിച്ചു. വഞ്ചകരല്ലാത്ത, പാർട്ടിക്ക് വേണ്ടി അധ്വാനിക്കുന്ന ആർക്കും നേതൃത്വം കൈമാറാമെന്നാണ് അദ്ദേഹം വ്യക്തമാക്കിയത്. മഹാരാഷ്ട്രയിൽ വളരാൻ തങ്ങൾ സഹായിച്ച ബി.ജെ.പി ഇന്ന് ശിവസേനയെ തകർക്കാൻ ശ്രമിക്കുകയാണെന്നും, രാജ്യം ‘ഒരു പാർട്ടി’ എന്ന ഏകാധിപത്യത്തിലേക്ക് നീങ്ങുകയാണെന്നും താക്കറെ കുറ്റപ്പെടുത്തി. ചില എം.പിമാരുടെ കൂറുമാറ്റത്തിൽ അദ്ദേഹം വോട്ടർമാരോട് മാപ്പ് ചോദിക്കുകയും കോൺഗ്രസ് ലയന വാർത്തകൾ പൂർണ്ണമായി തള്ളുകയും ചെയ്തു.
(With inputs from TNIE)
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