Thane Attack Sparks Political Battle: Uddhav Thackeray And Devendra Fadnavis Spar In War Of Words

The relationship between Uddhav Thackeray, the president of Shiv Sena (UBT), and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has deteriorated significantly.

During a recent incident in Thane, members of CM Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction allegedly attacked Roshani Shinde, an activist from a different political party, over a social media post that she later apologised for.

As a result, Uddhav, the leader of the opposing party, visited the injured activist at the hospital and referred to Fadnavis, the current Home Minister, as “fadtus (useless)” in his outrage. Accompanied by his wife and son, Uddhav expressed his concern for the well-being of the activist.

Maharashtra has been embroiled in tense conflicts since Shiv Sena split in June 2022, with party members skirmishing on personal and factional levels over territorial claims.

Despite Uddhav's Sena criticising BJP and Fadnavis over actions by agencies like ED, IT, and CBI, BJP remained silent.

Ajit Pawar's NCP led an attack on CM Shinde rather than his Deputy from the MVA side.

Fadnavis responded to criticism during a public rally in Nagpur saying “I’m not fadtus (useless), but kartoos (cartridge).” He added a dialogue from a popular film: “Main jhukega nahin sala. Ghus ke marega (I won’t bend, but I’ll enter your stronghold and beat you).”

The BJP has stood firmly behind Fadnavis following Uddhav's attack. State BJP chief Bawankule has referred to Uddhav's criticism as a result of political frustration, claiming that he is taking his anger out on those in power after failing to manage his own affairs. The BJP does not support any form of violence or attacks on individuals or party workers, he added.

According to a BJP leader, Uddhav has struck a chord by claiming that Shinde was outmanoeuvring Fadnavis in his home district. “Fadnavis has to walk a tightrope — balancing power equations to keep their coalition intact, while also delivering results as the Home Minister.”

The Deputy CM is under legal scrutiny for delivering "hate speeches" at Hindu Jan Akrosh rallies held by Sakal Hindu Samaj throughout the state.

Following the attack on his party worker, Uddhav is positioning himself as a strong and proactive leader. “Just because (my) Sainiks are silent doesn’t mean they can’t retaliate. If the state administration and police fail to act, we’ll show everyone what we can do,” Uddhav said.