Thackeray said he used the "deshpremi" word because the INDIA bloc wanted to save the country and democracy
Uddhav Thackeray at INDIA bloc rally on Sunday. Pic/mid-day
After the BJP criticised Shiv Sena (UBT) chief for his opening remarks while addressing the INDIA bloc rally in Mumbai, Thackeray on Monday defended his 'patriot' invocation instead of 'Hindu', reported PTI. Thackeray said he used the "deshpremi" word because the INDIA bloc wanted to save the country and democracy.
In the INDIA bloc rally in the presence of Congress and other alliance party leaders, on Sunday at Shivaji Park, Thackeray had addressed the public as 'deshbhakt and deshpremi brothers and sisters' instead of the traditional invocation of 'Hindu brothers and sisters'.
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Notably, Shivaji Park has been traditionally associated with massive Shiv Sena rallies since the days of Balasaheb Thackeray, who would begin his speech with 'my Hindu brothers and sisters' (Hindu baghinno aani bhavanno) phrase. His son, Uddhav Thackeray has continued this phrase as his opening sentence for all his rallied too. However, on Sunday's public rally of INDIA bloc leaders, he did not.
On Sunday, chief minister Eknath Shinde had criticised the event of Congress party addressing the public from the historic Shivaji Park ground. "It is a 'black day' for Maharashtra. Shivaji Park is the historic ground where Balasaheb Thackeray gave his Hindutva speeches. Today, people (Congress) who do not belive in Savarkar's contribution, will speak from the same ground," Shinde said.
It was the first time in history, that Congress leader, Rahul Gandhi addressed the public from Shivaji Park, Mumbai.
"BJP leaders criticised me over the opening sentence of my speech in the rally. But I want to ask them aren't they patriots?" Uddhav Thackeray said while addressing a rally in Hingoli district on Monday. Some BJP leaders criticised me alleging that my language (read as the Hindutva stand) has changed," said Thackeray.
The former chief minister, also criticised sitting Hingoli's MP Hemant Patil, who won the 2019 Lok Sabha polls as the nominee of Shiv Sena (undivided) but recently joined the Eknath Shinde faction.
(With PTI inputs)
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