Death warrant being issued for Mumbai & Marathi pride, claim Uddhav & Raj

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Thursday attacked the Mahayuti govt, claiming “a death warrant is being issued for Mumbai and Marathi pride, and the city is deteriorating, projects are staked, and corruption is rampant.” The two spoke in a joint interview to Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut and filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar for Saamna, Sena (UBT)’s mouthpiece.Raj said, “This election and Maharashtra stand at a turning point, what we call ‘now or never.’ Such a situation has arrived in Mumbai, Thane. Actually, in the entire MMR. Considering all these things, it is necessary for us to come together. If we don’t unite today and back each other, I feel Maharashtra will not forgive us.”Uddhav said the issue of unopposed election in local bodies is serious. “Now candidates are withdrawing. The next situation will be that, just as America airlifted the president of Venezuela, they will lift the municipal council chairperson and mayor and take them to Surat. They lifted their ministers and took them to Guwahati, Donald Trump did the same. Just as if there is a mistake in the tender process, they re-tender, similarly, where there are unopposed elections, the election process should be conducted anew. Is there not a single opposition candidate (in places where there is) unopposed election?” Uddhav asked.Agreeing with Uddhav, Raj said, “All I can say is that the kind of politics that is going on in Maharashtra, in the country... I really wonder if there are gods and goddesses. And if they are there, why are they watching all these things?” Raj further said, “Restrictions are necessary to curb these types of incidents (unopposed elections). Corporations are important to start imposing these. People need to express their anger over what is happening during the voting process. We do not want this power for ourselves. But if we want to start imposing restrictions, corporations are important. People need to express anger in Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nashik, Mira-Bhayander, Kalyan-Dombivli, and other corporations. If people are voting for them (Sena-BJP), if they do not express their anger through voting, who will they complain to?” Speaking on recent drug seizures and factory busts in the state, Uddhav and Raj criticised CM Devendra Fadnavis. “Our country needs a PM. But right now it does not have a PM, BJP has aPM. Similarly, Maharashtra does not have a CM, BJP has a CM. All of them think only of their party and power,” Raj said.