Attacks, Counters & Protests: 'Gaddar Diwas' Call by Uddhav's Sena Triggers Fresh 'Maha' Ripples

The two factions of Shiv Sena are at loggerheads again, and this time it’s over gaddar divas (traitors’ day). The fresh verbal duel began on Sunday when Uddhav Thackeray, during Shiv Sena (UBT) plenary, asked party workers to celebrate June 20 as traitors’ day as Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde and others in his camp has rebelled last year on the date and joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Nationalist Congress Party, the allies of Shiv Sena (UBT), protested on Tuesday outside party office in presence of Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule. The NCP held demonstrations at different places in Maharashtra with boxes as sign of “50 khokhe”, to support Thackeray’s statement.

While CM Shinde hit out at Thackeray on Monday, some BJP leaders jumped into the Sena rift on Tuesday. BJP MLA Nitesh Rane said that July 27, which is Uddhav Thackeray’s birthday, should be declared as ‘international traitors’ day’ as there is “no bigger traitor than him”.

The Maharashtra lawmaker’s reaction was triggered after Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut in the morning tweeted his letter to UN chief Antonio Guterres. He asked the United Nations to declare June 20 as ‘World Traitors Day’.

Elaborating on his demand, the Shiv Sena (UBT) launched a hidden attack on Shinde camp’s ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party. “Our prime minister, home minister and central government are promoting traitorship. PM Modi is going to the US. He should tell United Nations about June 20 when 40 of our MLAs left the party. And ask the UN to announce ‘World Traitors Day’,” Raut said.

On Monday, CM Shinde said former CM Uddhav Thackeray discarded party founder Bal Thackeray’s ideology to join hands with the NCP and the Congress.

Speaking at an event organised in Mumbai’s Goregaon to mark the 57th foundation day of the party, Shinde launched a scathing attack on Uddhav Thackeray, who heads Shiv Sena (UBT) faction, and said Bal Thackeray’s ideology was compromised for the chief minister’s chair.

“You discarded the principles of Balasaheb for power, for the sake of chair. Balasaheb once said he would not allow the Shiv Sena to become like the Congress and if that happens, he will shut his shop. But today, you (Uddhav) went with the NCP and the Congress. This is a betrayal on your side and that truth you spoke yesterday (Sunday),” he said referring to a speech delivered by Uddhav Thackeray during the Shiv Sena (UBT) plenary.

“In your speech, you asked the party workers to celebrate June 20 as the ‘gaddar divas’ (traitors’ day). You fumbled when you said ‘our’ betrayal is completing one year. But you immediately corrected yourself and blamed those leaders who left the party last year. It is you who is a traitor but you forgot the date,” the CM added.

Shinde said the allegation of being “traitors” levelled against him and other MLAs of his camp after the last year’s rebellion will not help Uddhav Thackeray gain public sympathy. “You will not get the sympathy of people as you have abandoned Balasaheb’s principles for power,” he added.

This was the first foundation day event addressed by Shinde after a split in the Shiv Sena and the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government last year.

Shinde said Uddhav Thackeray’s speech on Sunday was repetitive and advised his predecessor to change his scriptwriter. “Same taunts, same cassette… all repetitive. Ask him to change the scriptwriter. But we will give answer to these allegations (of traitors) by our work and this is what Balasaheb taught us,” the CM said.

He said one year ago, they did revolt against the then-Shiv Sena leadership and the world took cognizance of the rebellion which brought down the three-party Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. “We managed to form a Shiv Sena-BJP alliance government and that is why this foundation day today is historic and a matter of pride,” Shinde added.

Referring to the rebellion, the CM said, if he had taken a wrong decision, then he would not have garnered wide-ranging support from Shiv Sena MLAs, MPs and other party leaders.

“Had we taken a wrong decision, these 50 MLAs, MPs and other party leaders would not have come with us. They refer to those who leave them as ‘kachara’ (trash) but mind you, one day you will turn into trash,” he said, hitting out at the rival Shiv Sena (UBT).

The Bal Thackeray-founded Shiv Sena, which came into existence on June 19, 1966, made the pride of ‘Marathi manoos’ (Marathi speakers in Mumbai) the core plank of its politics and later added Hindutva to its ideology to expand support base.

The Shiv Sena split in June last year after Shinde and 39 other MLAs of the party rebelled against then-chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and toppled the MVA coalition government of the Sena, the NCP and the Congress.

Both the factions have now been trying to claim the mantle of the ‘true inheritor’ of Bal Thackeray’s legacy ahead of the next year’s Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly elections as well as the long-due civic polls in Mumbai.

(With inputs from PTI)