Civic elections are being conducted in Maharashtra. Election campaign is in full swing. Voting is to be held in 29 municipal bodies including Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on January 15. During the election campaign, Uddhav Thackeray said that even though Maharashtra is being ruled today by Marathi leaders, their masters are sitting in Delhi and they work for them. Raj Thackeray said about CM Fadnavis that he should not talk about corruption.
Amidst the noise of election campaign, Saamna conducted a joint interview of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray. The Thackeray brothers were interviewed by Sanjay Raut and film director Mahesh Manjrekar on behalf of Saamana.
In the interview, Uddhav Thackeray called both CM Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde as children of slaves. Uddhav said that even though Marathi leaders are ruling Maharashtra at present, their bosses are sitting in Delhi and they work for them. These are the children of slaves. Today's ruler (Fadnavis) is not a Mumbaikar.
On this, Raj Thackeray said, "Today there is a crisis in the entire Maharashtra including Mumbai. Today it is not a question of our existence, but the existence of the entire society of Maharashtra. If even now we do not unite and fight, then Maharashtra will not forgive us." He said that Fadnavis should not talk about corruption.
On the question related to coming together after 20 years, Uddhav Thackeray said, "What was the motive behind the way Shiv Sena was broken? In politics, defections happen, people leave one party and go to another, but to completely destroy a party, take away its election symbol, almost cancel its recognition and try to erase its very existence. To break and destroy the strength of the society in Maharashtra. What does this show? Okay, there are alliances in politics. Yes, they break and two parties can come together again, but what kind of experiment is this? They broke Shiv Sena only to weaken Maharashtra.
Raj Thackeray also said, "There is an old wound, to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra. Some people are constantly trying to find out how to fulfill this dream, in such a situation I feel that the atmosphere was like that during the Samyukta Maharashtra movement. When there was a demand to separate Mumbai and hand it over to Gujarat, the same atmosphere is being created again today. Those who want to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra are the ones in power at the Center today. They are also in power in the state." He further said, "If the same people come to power in BMC, I feel that the people of Maharashtra will not be able to do anything. It is not possible for us to watch this as a mute spectator, that is why we have come together."
Regarding the family dispute, Raj Thackeray further said, "I believe that why some things happened, how they happened, what happened, all these should be left behind now. I had earlier said in an interview given to Mahesh Manjrekar that Maharashtra is bigger than any fight or dispute. Today there is a crisis on the whole of Maharashtra. What is this crisis, the people of Maharashtra have understood. The people understand what kind of politics is going on in Maharashtra. This is the reason why we have come together. This is the reason for our existence. It is not a question, but it is a question of the existence of the entire society of Maharashtra. I have been speaking on this subject for years, Uddhav is also speaking.
Uddhav Thackeray said, "The coming together of the two brothers is definitely an emotional issue, but we came together, which means that now Maharashtra should be united. If we want to save Maharashtra, we will have to show unity. Political parties and opinions may differ, but we belong to Maharashtra, Maharashtra is ours. If we keep burning different stoves among ourselves, then the forces trying to break Maharashtra will take advantage of this."
Referring to the importance of the Sanyukta Maharashtra movement even today, Raj Thackeray said, "When the Sanyukta Maharashtra movement broke and after that Bala Thackeray founded Shiv Sena, Maharashtra was united again because it was needed. Even today the same picture is visible. What is the reason for this? The reason for this is the increasing number of people coming from outside, the same number is increasing in Mumbai too. Not only the population is increasing. Look at their bullying."
He further said, "We will make the mayor of Mumbai a North Indian, we will make the mayor of Mumbai a Hindu. How can such sentences be spoken? When did this start? These people are not coming just for livelihood, but are creating their own vote bank. The same picture is still visible, the old wound which is there, the dream of separating Mumbai from Maharashtra, how can it be fulfilled, all this is going on. In such a situation, I feel that just as Mumbai was at the time of United Maharashtra, The situation was similar to that demanded by Gujarat, those who want to separate Mumbai are in the center as well and if they come to power in the municipality too, I think it is not possible for us to look at all these things helplessly.
Even during the time of United Maharashtra, the fight was against the Marathi rulers of Maharashtra. Even today the rulers are Marathi. On the question related to Marathi vs Marathi, Uddhav Thackeray said, even though the people ruling here are Marathi, but their owners are sitting in Delhi and they work for them. They are the children of slaves.
On this, Raj Thackeray said, "Let me tell you one thing. These are all hawks. What is the job of a hawk? One has to kill the birds while sitting on the master's hand and bring them back. Here, sitting on the master's hand and breaking one's own men has become the work of today's people. That is, killing with one's own people is not only happening in the birds flying in the sky, but is also happening in the political parties. The same thing is happening even now. All this is being done by one's own people." They want to create discord among the castes. All their politics is being done so that everyone cannot remain united in Maharashtra.
On the question related to the unification of the Thackeray brothers and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's statement on the alliance that it is an alliance of corruption and confusion, Raj Thackeray said, "The first thing is that the pretense of all these depends only on Narendra Modi. All these are his appointed people. None of them is sitting on the post. The person sitting on the post means the one who has come forward on the basis of his ability and the person who is appointed is only a person with money." He listens to his boss and works as per his orders, so I don't think there is any logic in his words.
He further says, "Corruption? Fadnavis should not even talk about corruption. At one time, he had taken a bullock cart against Ajit Pawar. He had said that he was bringing the evidence of his corruption. What happened to him? Now he says that the matter is going on in the court. Hey, then give him that evidence. This is something like keeping yours hidden and looking at others with contempt. Now they have come to this level. After looking into their own secrets once." Look what's going on."
On the question related to the increasing activism of Genji in the civic elections, Raj Thackeray said, "I just feel that seeing the kind of political game going on in Maharashtra and the country today, a question really arises in my mind. Are there gods and goddesses? And if so, why are they all sitting silent after seeing this? He further said, "If they are so many (33 crores), then why are they sitting silent after seeing all this?"
