Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray retaliates against Union Home Minister Amit Shah's comments on the Maharashtra elections, vowing to show what an "injured tiger" can do. Thackeray challenges the use of EVMs and calls for ballot paper elections.
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In a fierce retort to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's comments about the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief following the party's defeat in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, Uddhav Thackeray issued a strong warning, stating that the BJP leader would soon witness the power of an "injured tiger."
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Shah had previously remarked that the results of the recent Maharashtra elections would show Uddhav Thackeray his rightful place. Thackeray, addressing a public meeting on the occasion of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray's birth anniversary, firmly hit back. He stated, "Amit Shah said that these elections will show Uddhav Thackeray his place. Okay, Amit Shah ji! You will see what an injured tiger and his claws can do. Don’t mess with the 'Marathi Manus.' We made Aurangzeb kneel; who is Amit Shah?"
Thackeray, who had served as the Maharashtra Chief Minister before the state's political turbulence, also lashed out at the BJP-led Centre over their handling of elections, proposing a return to using ballot papers instead of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Thackeray stressed that anyone who was involved in stirring communal tensions under the guise of 'Hindutva' could not be considered a true Hindu.
“If you have any shame, keep EVM aside and hold elections on ballot paper,” Thackeray challenged. "Anyone who spreads Hindu-Muslim enmity, can't be a Hindu... Our Hindutva is clean," he added.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) faced a significant setback in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, securing only 20 seats, while the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance emerged victorious with 235 seats. Despite the massive defeat, Thackeray continued to voice concerns regarding the legitimacy of the EVMs, a sentiment shared by several Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders.
Thackeray’s comments followed the release of the election results, which saw the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance’s sweeping victory, with the Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party securing 57 and 41 seats, respectively. In contrast, the MVA alliance, which includes Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the NCP, faced a heavy loss, with Congress winning just 16 seats and Shiv Sena (UBT) claiming 20.
Earlier, the Chief Election Commissioner, Rajiv Kumar, had rejected calls for a return to paper ballots, calling such suggestions "unwarranted and regressive" and maintaining that they were an attempt to "derail" the election process.
(With inputs from ANI)
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