Don’t take me lightly, CM Eknath Shinde cautions adversaries

CM Shinde addresses his third Dussehra rally at Azad Maidan after the Shiv Sena split in 2022. Pic/Atul Kamble

CM Eknath Shinde has warned his adversaries to not take him lightly. He said he was a true blue Shiv Sainik who would not shed the Hindutva ideology and run away from the battlefield, but he would rather force the Opponents out of his way.

Shinde was addressing the third Dussehra rally as the leader of Shiv Sena splinter that had joined hands with the BJP in June 2022. Apart from bashing the rival leader Uddhav Thackeray, the CM talked about his government's achievements and decisions that, according to him, would be the winner in the forthcoming Assembly elections.

"When we toppled anti-Maharashtra Aghadi (MVA), they said I would not survive two months in the CM's office, but see I have completed two years resolutely. I withstood them. So, don't take me lightly. I'm a true blue Shiv Sainik, who will not run away from the battlefield, but force the Opponents out of my way," he said at Azad Maidan on Saturday.

Shinde said there was no need for him to explain why he rebelled, yet he reiterated what he had already said about his former boss umpteen times. But this time, he asked Thackeray for his report card as the CM. "I will present my report card for two years. You too submit yours. Let people decide what is true and false," he told his rival, who he accused of corruption and threatened to talk about at an appropriate time later.

Along with his government's welfare schemes and infrastructure development, Shinde reiterated his commitment for Hindutva. "People have proved which is the original Sena in the Lok Sabha elections. They dropped Hindutva and lost face. Whatever happened to them (MVA) in the Lok Sabha is temporary. Haryana will be repeated in Maharashtra because only a double-engine government can ensure the state's progress," he added.

Shinde asked his party's rank and file to erase the MVA's "fake narrative" about the Constitution. "Demolish the fake narrative. Tell people about our decisions that will ensure prosperity and protect Hindutva. The victory will be glorious. The Bhagva will unfurl at Mantralaya..." he said. According to him, Thackeray had relinquished the Hindutva ideology of the Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray. "They are ashamed of saying Hindu Hriday Samrat (a title Balasaheb was given). We have freed the Sena. It is ‘azad Sena's' rally today," added Shinde.

Maratha quota a sore point in Beed

Addressing his first Dussehra rally, Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil issued an ultimatum to the government to give his community a quota in the other backward classes (OBC) category before the election code of conduct comes into force. "It is time we revolted against injustice," he said in Narayan Gad, Beed district, hinting at repercussions during the upcoming assembly polls. Not too far from there, Pankaja Munde held her own rally at Sawargaon Ghat, assuring OBC communities, which have opposed the Maratha quota: "I will not tolerate any harm to the poor Bahujan (OBCs)."