Uddhav throws open challenge at BJP to 'kill him', Eknath Shinde throws shade at him, praises Modi

Mumbai: Borrowing the dialogue of Prahaar -'come on, kill me' - rendered by Nana Patekar as he takes on 'goondas' in the military action movie, Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray dared the BJP and said that he will "fulfil what people of Maharashtra wants" - a statement which takes ahead the possibility of an alliance with his cousin and MNS president Raj Thackeray.

Uddhav made it clear that he would not allow the “Thackeray brand” of late Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray to be finished.

During his address at the 59th foundation day festivities, Uddhav, a former Maharashtra chief minister slammed prime minister Narendra Modi on multiple issues even as he was highly critical of defence minister Rajnath Singh and home minister and BJP’s strategist Amit Shah.

Uddhav also did not spare Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and his bete noire and deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, who has rebelled and now controls the real Shiv Sena and the iconic bow and arrow symbol.

“There are many questions…will it happen?…will it not?…what is in their mind…and what is in the mind of the people of Maharashtra, I will make it happen,” Uddhav said amid thunderous applause.

“They meet in a hotel,” he said referring to Fadnavis meeting with Raj, indicating that the BJP does not want the Uddhav-Raj alliance to happen.

“They say…it will not happen…it will not happen…we will see it ourselves, don’t worry,” he said, adding: “BJP does not want Marathi parties to unite…if they dare to finish the Thackeray brand…we will finish off the BJP.”

“How many of you have seen Prahaar…you must remember the dialogue rendered by Nana Patekar to goondas… ‘come on, kill me’…yes…I am saying ‘come on, kill me’ to the gaddars,” he said amid roaring applause in what was an attack on BJP and Shinde Sena.

“They are scared about Marathi people uniting to pose a challenge to Mumbai’s owner. To thwart that, they go and meet in hotels and other places. They worry what will happen to the ‘owner’ if Mumbai comes back to the Marathis," he said.

Targeting Modi, he said: “Today India desperately needs a Prime Minister as Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister of the BJP.”

“What is Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah doing…they are breaking parties,” Thackeray, a key leader of the Congress-led INDIA opposition bloc, said referring to the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.

“How did the four terrorists sneak in and where are they…that is the key question. Where have they done…have they joined BJP…now only Dawood Ibrahim remains to be inducted into the BJP,” he said in what was reference to Sudhakar Badgujar - who had come under scanner for links with Dawood Ibrahim gang member Salim Kutta - joining the BJP.

He also lashed out at Modi for agreeing to a ceasefire with Pakistan. “One phone call comes from (United States President) Donald Trump and he agrees (to a ceasefire,” he said. “All this by the person who had stopped the Russia-Ukraine war,” he said referring to the “war rukwa di, papa” advertisement.

“The BJP wants to divide…Hindu-Muslim….Marathi…non-Marathi,” he said, adding: “You are a hero in Pakistan but a zero in India…its treason.”

Mare hue ko kya marna hai: Shinde

Hitting out at Uddhav Thackeray for the ‘come on, kill me’ challenge, deputy chief minister and Shiv Sena chief leader Eknath Shinde said that people of Maharashtra have made the Shiv Sena (UBT) a corpse.

“arey…mare hue ko kya marna hai,” he said and paid tributes to late Shiv Sena leader Balasaheb Thackeray and his mentor Dharmaveer Anand Dighe on the occasion of 59th foundation day of the regional saffron party.

Shinde's reference was to the Shiv Sena (UBT)'s performance in the 2024 Assembly elections - the worst-ever in three decades.

“We don’t tease anyone, but if anyone teases us, we don’t spare them,” said Shinde, who had toppled the Maha Vikas Aghadi headed by Thackeray three years ago and took control of the party.

Shinde also showed praises on prime minister Narendra Modi for the Operation Sindoor to avenge Pahalgam terror attack and hit out at leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.

“…yeh Congress ka haath nahi hai…Modi ji ka hathoda hai,” he said, amid thunderous applause and noted that had Balasaheb been alive, he would have praised Modi the way he took on Pakistan.

“You ask questions…how many aircraft we lost…how many missiles you have fired…you are trying to question the armed forces,” said Shinde, adding how with precise and targetted attacks, the terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir was destroyed.

“You are Indian or a Pakistani agent….do you want a Nishan-e-Pakistan,” he said, lashing out at Gandhi. “Had Balasaheb been alive, he would have conducted your court martial,” he said.