Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray has hit back hard in the ongoing Operation Tiger row, declaring that no one capable of operating on a lion has been born yet, and that his rivals will flee the moment the tiger is let loose. In the same round of remarks, Thackeray also took aim at the VHP's fresh demands, the shifting of the National Awards to Gujarat, action against Shiv Sena UBT corporators, and the building collapse deaths in Delhi.
Uddhav Thackeray hits back at VHP's fresh demands
Reacting to the VHP's demand to bar Muslims from Navratri garba events and require Hindus to wear a tilak before entering, Thackeray was scathing. He said the people making such demands are essentially cow-urine Hindus who were never around earlier but are now pushing new conditions. According to him, festivals were being celebrated long before these groups appeared on the scene, and will continue to be celebrated regardless. He argued that imposing such restrictions is the only version of Hindutva these groups actually practise, and that they are wrong to call it Hindutva at all.
Fear of riots being engineered during the festive season
Thackeray went on to allege that the government could be plotting to disturb the peace around festival time. He claimed that two incidents had already occurred ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi. In a city like Mumbai, he said, outsiders arrive, cause trouble and disappear without anyone even noticing. He asked why the government has still not taken concrete steps to stop such incidents.
Questions over shifting the National Awards to Gujarat
Thackeray also objected sharply to the decision to move the National Awards ceremony from Delhi to Gujarat. He asked whether cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Kolkata are not part of the country. He alleged that a wall is deliberately being built between Gujarat and the rest of the nation, and claimed pure politics is behind the entire decision.
Action against UBT corporators and allegations of bias
Thackeray levelled a serious charge over the treatment of Shiv Sena UBT corporators, saying their posts are being cancelled repeatedly on the pretext of caste certificate issues. He said 16 people have filed petitions against the Shinde faction, and those petitions are being heard and decided swiftly. In contrast, he said, petitions filed by Shiv Sena UBT against the Shinde faction are seeing no decisions at all. He called this outright discrimination and asked why such a double standard is being applied.
Government targeted over Delhi building collapse
On the deaths caused by a building collapse in Delhi, Thackeray directed his criticism squarely at the government. He said corruption has always existed, but now that the government there is run by the BJP itself, such accidents should not be happening. He asked whether any inspection of dilapidated buildings had been carried out, whether a separate list of such dangerous structures existed, and whether any preventive steps had been taken in time. He insisted that those responsible must face action, or such incidents would keep repeating.
An earlier setback for Thackeray
Thackeray had previously made headlines after suffering a major political setback, when rebel MPs were granted recognition to join the Shinde faction, a development that had stirred unrest within Shiv Sena UBT.
