Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday made a sensational claim in the Legislative Council, accusing former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray of bowing before Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi and pleading for relief from central investigative agencies.

Shinde alleged that while Thackeray sought the support of PM Modi and even explored the possibility of forming a coalition government, he made a complete U-turn upon returning to Maharashtra.

Shinde said that Thackeray betrayed the ideals of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj by aligning with the Congress. “Balasaheb Thackeray always kept the Congress at bay, yet Uddhav Thackeray shamelessly joined hands with them for power,” Shinde said.

He also claimed that his faction had successfully reclaimed the “bow and arrow” symbol, which, according to him, had been “mortgaged” to the Congress and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. Shinde further targeted the Thackeray-led faction by stating, “Since you have embraced the ideology of Aurangzeb, you have no moral right to speak about Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.”

In response to Shinde’s allegations, Thackeray addressed the media and denied the claims. When questioned about the accusation of begging for forgiveness from PM Modi, Thackeray sharply retorted, “Yes, at that time, Eknath Shinde was in Narendra Modi’s dustbin. We didn’t even realise it. Jai Hind.”

Thackeray also commented on the controversy surrounding the grave of Aurangzeb, which had been raised by Shinde. “Aurangzeb came to conquer Maharashtra, but he failed to win the soil of Maharashtra. The people of Maharashtra gave him a bitter defeat. No one who has any love for the soil of Maharashtra will support Aurangzeb. If anyone is talking about digging his grave, they should refrain from making speeches or creating movements,” Thackeray stated.

He also questioned the effectiveness of the so-called 'double engine government' led by the BJP, stating that it was merely 'releasing hot air.' Thackeray criticised the current government's inability to take action on the grave of Aurangzeb, noting, “The grave of Aurangzeb is under the protection of the central government.”