Uddhav Thackeray’s ‘power jihad’ barb at BJP, counters Amit Shah’s ‘Aurangzeb Fan Club’ jab.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray also accused Home minister Amit Shah of being the ‘political descendent’ of Ahmad Shah Abdali. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of indulging in “power jihad” by breaking political parties to be in government, reported PTI. Thackeray, while addressing party workers in Pune, also hit out at Union home minister Amit Shah over the latter calling him as the head of the “Aurangzeb Fan Club”. He also accused Shah of being the ‘political descendent’ of Ahmad Shah Abdali – an Afghan ruler who defeated Marathas in the battle of Panipat. Thackeray also hit out at the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government over the ‘Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin’ scheme and accused it of bribing voters by giving “revdis” (freebies). “If Muslims are with us after we explain to them our Hindutva, then we are (according to the BJP) the Aurangzeb Fan Club. Then what you are doing is power jihad,” Thackeray was quoted as saying by PTI. On July 21, Shah, while addressing a BJP conclave in Maharashtra’s Pune, had called the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance as an “Aurangzeb fan club” and had alleged that Thackeray was its leader. “Maha Vikas Aghadi is Aurangzeb fan club. This Aurangzeb fan club cannot ensure India’s security. Uddhav Thackeray is the leader of this Aurangzeb Fan club. This Fan Club cannot make Maharashtra and India safe. It’s only the BJP that can ensure the safety and security of all,” Shah had said, according to ANI. “Uddhav Thackeray shares his meals with people involved with Kasab, he supports PFI and stands against renaming Aurangabad as Sambhaji Nagar,” he had added. This was not the first time when Shah has attacked the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief in public. He accused Thackeray of leaving ideology for power during the Lok Sabha elections. Uddhav Thackeray had to unceremoniously step down as chief minister in June 2022 after Eknath Shinde led a rebellion in the Shiv Sena leading to collapse of his government. In February 2023, the Election Commission of India recognised the Shinde faction as the real Shiv Sena. Elections for the 288-seat Assembly in Maharashtra are expected to take place in the state later this year.