Maharashtra | Priyanka invokes Bal Thackeray, Shivaji Maharaj's 'insult' to target Modi

Pune, Nov 16 (PTI) Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday invoked Bal Thackeray while campaigning for the Maharashtra assembly polls, stating the Shiv Sena founder wouldn't have tolerated Shivaji Maharaj's insult.

Priyanka's rare reference to Thackeray, whose aggressive Hindutva was rejected by previous Congress generational leaders, comes at a time when PM Narendra Modi has dared the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) to ensure Rahul Gandhi speaks a few words of praise for Bal Thackeray and V D Savarkar.

Priyanka accused the BJP of back-stabbing Uddhav Thackeray, an obvious reference to the toppling of the MVA government in 2022.

"Modi always takes the name of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray. Yes, our ideologies (Congress's and Shiv Sena's) were different...Yes, our political thinking was different... But neither Balasaheb Thackeray nor any leader from the Congress and Rahul ji (Gandhi) would tolerate Shivaji Maharaj's insult," Priyanka stated while addressing poll rallies in Shirdi and Kolhapur.

Maha Vikas Aghadi, formed after the 2019 assembly elections, consists of Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar).

Addressing rallies for MVA candidates, the AICC general secretary said Modi invokes Bal Thackeray publicly, but they (BJP) back-stabbed his son (Uddhav Thackeray).

She accused Mahayuti leaders of insulting Shivaji Maharaj, raking up the collapse of his statue in Sindhudurg district in August, alleging corruption.

"The statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj outside Parliament was removed. The statue installed in Sindhudurg, collapsed as corruption took place in its construction. What is the point of taking the name of the legendary king if you want to insult that person?" she asked.

Priyanka alleged the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and its people were being insulted.

"All these leaders, including Modi ji, take his (Shivaji Maharaj's) name, but they do not respect him," she alleged.

PM laid a foundation for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue but later stopped the work. He takes the name of Balasaheb Thackeray at the public platform but when it comes to completing the statue of Shivaji Maharaj, he doesn't, she claimed, apparently referring to the proposed memorial of the warrior king off Mumbai sea.

Priyanka alleged that PM Modi's speeches reflect contradiction in his words and actions.

"If I listen to the speeches of leaders, especially of the Prime Minister, they are disappointing because there is no truth in his speeches. It sounds like he is saying something and doing something else. We expect that the PM and chief ministers will speak the truth and talk about positive things (by virtue of their Constitutional positions)," she added. PTI