Raj Thackeray denies making remarks on alliance with Uddhav-led Sena (UBT)

Nashik: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Wednesday denied making any remarks on forging an alliance with the Shiv Sena (UBT) led by his cousin Uddhav Thackeray, and claimed that the words that he did not utter were wrongly attributed to him in a section of media.

In a post on X, Thackeray said if he wants to make any political statement, he will do so by holding a press conference.

He said the party organised a conclave for selected office-bearers at Igatpuri in Nashik on July 14 and 15, where he held an informal interaction with journalists.

"When there was an informal chat with journalists, I was asked about the July 5 victory celebration rally in Mumbai. I said the event was to celebrate the victory of Marathi manoos and that it was not political. Then they (the journalists) asked what about the alliance (with the Shiv Sena-UBT). To this I responded, saying - Should I discuss the alliance matters with you now?"

Thackeray said. "Words, which I did not utter, were put in my mouth, claiming that the decision on the alliance would be taken after assessing the situation before the municipal elections," he said, adding that informal talks should remain informal in nature. The MNS president said he has also been associated with journalism since 1984 and behaviour by some journalists do not behove them.

On July 5, the two Thackeray cousins shared the political stage after two decades to celebrate the BJP-led Maharashtra government's rollback of two controversial orders that had introduced Hindi as a third language from Class 1 in state schools.

While Uddhav Thackeray appears keen for a tie-up ahead of civic elections in Mumbai and elsewhere, the MNS chief is yet to make his intentions clear.

On Monday, Raj, in an informal interaction with journalists in Igatpuri, reportedly said the joint victory celebration rally of MNS and Sena (UBT) on July 5 was only on the issue of Marathi and politics should not be attached to it. He also said the MNS will take a final call on polls when civic body elections are announced.

During the July 5 rally, Uddhav Thackeray said, "We have come together to stay together. We will together capture power in the Mumbai civic body and Maharashtra."

The elections to the high-profile civic body in Mumbai, which Sena considers its citadel and homeground, and other municipal corporations are due by the end of this year.

After he quit Shiv Sena in 2005 over apparent differences with his cousin, Raj Thackeray formed the MNS and has been projecting it as the true champion of the cause of the sons-of-the-soil. The parties, led by the cousins, had since contested elections against each other notwithstanding the intermittent calls for reunion raised by certain quarters.