My resignation may have been wrong, but did it on moral grounds, says Uddhav Thackeray after SC ruling

Amid Supreme Court observation that status quo ante cannot be restored because he resigned as Chief Minister amid the rebellion in Shiv Sena in June-2022, Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said that he tendered the papers on moral grounds because of the rebellion by people who betrayed the legacy of late Balasaheb Thackeray.

“My decision may have been wrong but I resigned on moral grounds…my own people betrayed against me and the legacy of my father (Balasaheb Thackeray)…the gaddar (traitors) were asking me to prove majority,” Thackeray told reporters in Matoshree, his private residence at Bandra suburbs of Mumbai.

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However, he hastened to add that post the Supreme Court verdict Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis must tender their resignations on moral grounds.

Shinde and Fadnavis, however, ruled it out saying that Thackeray put down his papers because of the depleting strength. “He realised that people are not with him…he resigned in fear of losing the floor test and it has nothing to do with morality,” said Shinde.

Fadnavis said that Thackeray should not speak of morality. “Where was morality after the 2019 Vidhan Sabha elections, when he joined hands with Congress and NCP after having contested the polls together with BJP and prevented us from coming to power,” he said.

On the earlier Election Commission verdict on allotting the Shiv Sena name and bow and arrow symbol to Shinde, Thackeray said: “My father did not gave the name Shiv Sena after consulting the Election Commission…so they can’t take away the name from us…tomorrow, what if I decide to change the name of Election Commission.”

"The Supreme Court said if I had not resigned, I would probably have been reinstated. But I am not fighting for myself. I am fighting for my country, my state,” said Thackeray, who now heads the Shiv Sena (UBT).