<p>Mumbai: The BJP and Shiv Sena took a swipe at Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray, his son Aaditya Thackeray and their close aide Sanjay Raut after they were spotted sitting on the last row at the dinner meeting for the I.N.D.I.A. opposition bloc parties at Rahul Gandhi’s residence in New Delhi.</p><p>When Thackeray was part of the NDA, he used to be accorded respect and got a seat on the front row, BJP leaders claimed. </p> .I.N.D.I.A bloc to field 'eminent' personality as Vice Presidential candidate to avoid giving BJP a 'walkover'.<p>“Maharashtra has never faced such humiliation. It is very sad,” state Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar said. </p><p>“We have always given front row seats to Thackeray,” said state Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, a former BJP President.</p><p> “Whenever Devendra Fadnavis (when he was heading the BJP-undivided Shiv Sena government from 2014-2019) used to have any work he used to go to Matoshree and hold discussions with Thackeray,” he added. </p> .<p>“The Congress has shown him his place,” remarked Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who is now the Shiv Sena chief leader. “After all he has left the principles and ideology of late Balasaheb Thackeray,” he added. </p><p>Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske from Thane, took to X to state that Thackerays disrespected Maratha pride in Delhi. “You talk about the legacy of Shivaji Maharaj. But you went to the Congress meeting and sat in the last row? Balasaheb taught us self-respect and pride. Shivaji Maharaj and Balasaheb gave us the lesson to rise up against insult,” he said. </p> .<p>Raut, however, said that Thackeray was given a seat on the front row. “We all were in the front, but we wanted to see the screen properly and hence preferred to come back,” the Rajya Sabha MP said. </p><p>In a related development, a group of Shiv Sena leaders and workers undertook a protest at the memorial of Balasaheb Thackeray at Shivaji Park- and raised slogans like - “Balasaheb, forgive Uddhav,” and “Clean the mudded brain.”</p> .<p>Shiv Sena MLC Dr. Manisha Kayande, spokesperson Sheetal Mhatre, spokesperson Sushiben Shah, women’s wing head Priya Sarvankar, former corporator Datta Narvankar, former corporator Samadhan Sarvankar, and hundreds of Shiv Sainiks participated in the protest.</p><p>“What has happened to Uddhav? His condition was evident at yesterday’s INDIA alliance meeting. Sitting in the last row — this is not something Balasaheb would have approved of. We are here to seek his forgiveness for Uddhav.” She added that Shiv Sena, under the leadership of Eknath Shinde, is moving forward and has the support of the people. </p><p>“Uddhav, who once sat on an independent chair, now sits on a sofa,” said Dr Kayande, an MLC.</p><p>Mhatre made a scathing remark: “Uddhav didn’t just bow down in Delhi — he crawled.” She accused him of handing over the party to Sonia Gandhi, saying, “When Shiv Sena was allied with the BJP, even Amit Shah had visited Matoshree. Now you sit anywhere like a rat.”</p>
<p>Mumbai: The BJP and Shiv Sena took a swipe at Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray, his son Aaditya Thackeray and their close aide Sanjay Raut after they were spotted sitting on the last row at the dinner meeting for the I.N.D.I.A. opposition bloc parties at Rahul Gandhi’s residence in New Delhi.</p><p>When Thackeray was part of the NDA, he used to be accorded respect and got a seat on the front row, BJP leaders claimed. </p> .I.N.D.I.A bloc to field 'eminent' personality as Vice Presidential candidate to avoid giving BJP a 'walkover'.<p>“Maharashtra has never faced such humiliation. It is very sad,” state Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar said. </p><p>“We have always given front row seats to Thackeray,” said state Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, a former BJP President.</p><p> “Whenever Devendra Fadnavis (when he was heading the BJP-undivided Shiv Sena government from 2014-2019) used to have any work he used to go to Matoshree and hold discussions with Thackeray,” he added. </p> .<p>“The Congress has shown him his place,” remarked Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who is now the Shiv Sena chief leader. “After all he has left the principles and ideology of late Balasaheb Thackeray,” he added. </p><p>Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske from Thane, took to X to state that Thackerays disrespected Maratha pride in Delhi. “You talk about the legacy of Shivaji Maharaj. But you went to the Congress meeting and sat in the last row? Balasaheb taught us self-respect and pride. Shivaji Maharaj and Balasaheb gave us the lesson to rise up against insult,” he said. </p> .<p>Raut, however, said that Thackeray was given a seat on the front row. “We all were in the front, but we wanted to see the screen properly and hence preferred to come back,” the Rajya Sabha MP said. </p><p>In a related development, a group of Shiv Sena leaders and workers undertook a protest at the memorial of Balasaheb Thackeray at Shivaji Park- and raised slogans like - “Balasaheb, forgive Uddhav,” and “Clean the mudded brain.”</p> .<p>Shiv Sena MLC Dr. Manisha Kayande, spokesperson Sheetal Mhatre, spokesperson Sushiben Shah, women’s wing head Priya Sarvankar, former corporator Datta Narvankar, former corporator Samadhan Sarvankar, and hundreds of Shiv Sainiks participated in the protest.</p><p>“What has happened to Uddhav? His condition was evident at yesterday’s INDIA alliance meeting. Sitting in the last row — this is not something Balasaheb would have approved of. We are here to seek his forgiveness for Uddhav.” She added that Shiv Sena, under the leadership of Eknath Shinde, is moving forward and has the support of the people. </p><p>“Uddhav, who once sat on an independent chair, now sits on a sofa,” said Dr Kayande, an MLC.</p><p>Mhatre made a scathing remark: “Uddhav didn’t just bow down in Delhi — he crawled.” She accused him of handing over the party to Sonia Gandhi, saying, “When Shiv Sena was allied with the BJP, even Amit Shah had visited Matoshree. Now you sit anywhere like a rat.”</p>