Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched a sharp and wide-ranging attack on Uddhav Thackeray in a Mumbai rally, questioning his party’s long record in power and its repeated claim that the “Marathi manoos is in danger.”
“If the Marathi people are really in danger today, then what were you doing for the last 30 years? Were you just playing marbles all this time?” Fadnavis asked, drawing loud applause from the crowd.Fadnavis said public meetings were not just about speeches but about dialogue with people. Using his now-familiar “Laav re toh video” style, he played old video clips showing Raj and Uddhav Thackeray attacking each other, suggesting that nothing had changed in their politics despite new alliances.
The Maharashtra Chief Minister said the speeches made at Uddhav Thackeray’s rally in Mumbai a day earlier repeated the same old appeals and arguments. Quoting Eknath Shinde, he asserted that “Mumbai will never be separated from Maharashtra, no matter who comes and claims it.” He again returned to the central question, and stated if the Marathi identity is under threat today, how could the same leadership that ruled Mumbai and Maharashtra for 25 to 30 years be absolved of responsibility? “You ruled for decades. You warmed your chairs in power. If after all that the Marathi manoos is still in this condition, then you should be ashamed,” Fadnavis said in a blistering remark.
Taking a swipe at Aaditya Thackeray, Fadnavis invited him to an open debate, saying BJP minister Sheetal Mhatre or “Sheetal Gambhir,” as referenced in the speech would be ready to face him anytime. He dismissed the idea that this was some kind of “last election” for Mumbai or for the Marathi people.A“This is not a fight for the existence of Marathi people. It is a fight for your own political survival,” Fadnavis said, pointing directly at the Thackeray camp.
In one of the strongest lines of the speech, he declared: “You do not represent Marathi people. You do not represent Maharashtra. You do not represent Mumbai. Mumbai is its people. Marathi is its people. Maharashtra is its people.”
Mocking what he called attempts to copy his speaking style, Fadnavis said imitation had already damaged other political parties. “Some people tried to copy me yesterday. I don’t mind. But they should remember what happened to their ‘uncle’s party’ while copying. At least the uncle could speak well and imitate properly. Let’s see what happens to you,” he said, in a pointed jibe aimed at Aaditya Thackeray.
As the BMC election battle heats up, the sharp exchange reflects how the fight for Mumbai is turning into a fierce contest over legacy, identity and political credibility, with both sides accusing the other of failing the very people they claim to represent.
