'Our coming together brings happiness to many communities': Uddhav Thackeray
What's the story
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has spoken about the recent political developments in Maharashtra, especially the reunion with his cousin and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray. In an interview with Shiv Sena's mouthpiece, he said their coming together after two decades has brought happiness to many communities. "Even our Muslim brothers were happy, openly expressing it. Gujarati and Hindi-speaking citizens said, 'Achcha kiya aapne (You did well),'" he said.
Political focus
'This is very big'
When asked if their unity would lead to political coordination, Uddhav said, "We have come together after 20 years. This is not even a little—this is very big." He stressed that their appearance together was more important than their speech today. However, he clarified that politics wasn't the immediate priority and emphasized his commitment to the Marathi language and people.
MVA dynamics
Discussions on local elections and MVA alliance
On the Mahavikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance and local elections, Uddhav said discussions were ongoing. He also spoke about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government's handling of national security after the Pahalgam terrorist attack. He called it a "failure of the government" and questioned how such an attack could happen despite assurances that Kashmir was safe.
Trade critique
Thackeray criticizes Modi's government for prioritizing trade
Uddhav also slammed what he called the politicization of military operations, alleging international pressure from US President Donald Trump forced a retreat in "Operation Sindoor." He accused the government of prioritizing trade over national security. Speaking about Hindi imposition in Maharashtra, Uddhav reiterated the state's Marathi identity and slammed the BJP's attempts to impose Hindi. He recalled Balasaheb Thackeray's promotion of multilingualism without linguistic domination.
Land issues
Thackeray addresses land acquisition and public safety concerns
Uddhav also spoke about land acquisition issues and alleged misuse of the Public Safety Act. He accused the government of silencing dissenters in favor of corporate interests. Concluding the interview, Uddhav said he never discriminated based on religion or language during his tenure as Chief Minister or in Mumbai's municipal corporation. "I am a Hindutva supporter, but did I treat Muslims differently during the pandemic?" he asked rhetorically.