Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Tuesday lashed out at his nephew Raj Thackeray, who criticised him at a political rally, and pointed out that “he [Raj] himself is a part of the dynasty politics he has criticised.”
Mr. Thackeray was upset by his nephew's criticism at a public rally while campaigning for the Kalyan-Dombivali municipal corporation elections on Monday. This is the first time that Raj has openly criticised his mentor.
In a statement here, Mr. Thackeray also warned Raj that the Shiv Sainiks would not take kindly to the criticism and that he would have to face their fury.
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“I did not expect that the one who grew in the shadow of ‘Matoshri' [Mr. Thackeray's residence] and whom I nurtured would badmouth me. Don't forget that it is the Shiv Sena that has turned you into who you are today,” he said.
Earlier, Mr. Thackeray set the ball rolling by criticising Raj during the Sena's annual Dasara rally here. An embittered Raj responded by saying: “I have always respected and idolised Balasaheb. I have been influenced by him, just like he was influenced by my grandfather Prabodhankar Thackeray and Pralhad Keshav Atre. Why am I being criticised of copying him then?”
Mr. Thackeray had said during the Dasara rally that it was Raj who had chosen Uddhav Thackeray as the Shiv Sena's executive president during the party's Mahabaleshwar convention.
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Raj responded by saying that Uddhav was elected as per Mr. Thackeray's wish. “He [Mr. Thackeray] was worried I would stand in the way of his son,” Raj had said.
Raj had also said that he did not enjoy any power in the Shiv Sena and that it would have been impossible for him to choose Uddhav as the executive president without Mr. Thackeray's tacit support.
“He [Mr. Thackeray] has said that it was my decision to choose Uddhav. Let us assume it was. Can he now tell me if the decision was right or wrong?” Raj asked during the rally.
Upset over this, Mr. Thackeray slammed him saying: “How can he say he chose the executive president of the party when he himself admitted that he did not have any power in the party structure? The Marathi manoos should ask him for clarification on this contradiction.”
Mr. Thackeray added that the party had the CD of the Mahabaleshwar convention where Uddhav was chosen as the executive president. “We will show it to the people,” he said.