The Shiv Sena (UBT) has slammed MNS president  Raj Thackeray “for genuflecting before the Delhi darbar.” Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut alleged that when Raj met Union home minister Amit Shah recently in New Delhi, the latter showed him a file after which the MNS leader agreed to back Modi and the ruling Maha Yuti in Maharashtra. The insinuation was that the file contained certain confidential information about Raj. Raut observed that Raj has done a distinct disservice to Maharashtra and Marathi manoos by surrending to the BJP leadership. 

Political observers recall the gross inconsistencies in Raj’s stance vis-a-vis Modi. Ten years ago when Modi was the CM of Gujarat, he invited Raj to visit the state and see development works for himself. Modi rolled out the red carpet and instructed senior IAS officers to make presentations to the leader from Maharashtra. Raj was suitably impressed about the development of Gujarat and waxed eloquent about it on his return to Mumbai. He was so enamoured of Modi that he went to the extent of suggesting that the Gujarat leader should be made the PM.

However, soon Raj did a neat volte face and started targeting Modi. He started detesting Modi so much that he undertook a whirlwind tour of Maharashtra addressing public meetings at which he sough to expose Modi. He called for a “Modi Mukt Bharat” or an India free of Modi.  The dais would invariably have ultra large LCD screens on which he asked his assistant with a flourish “Laavre toh video” (show that video) and tried to bring out the PM’s alleged double talk. When the Pulawama terror attack took place, he went to the extent of stating that the blast could have been an engineered one.  

But all that changed dramatically on Tuesday evening at Shivaji Park. Addressing the mammoth audience, Raj declared his unconditional support to Modi and the BJP-led coalition in the state. 

Many of his own partymen were simply stunned by the announcement which was made at the fag end of th rally.

The MNS’s general secretary Kirtikumar Shinde posted on X (former Tweeter)  his goodbye  to the party.  He said support to the BJP would not  benefit the Marathi people in any way. Shinde pointed out that Raj had declared war against BJP-Modi-Amit Shah, but  after five years, Raj has changed his political position “at a very crucial moment in the country’s history.”

Shinde  alleged that over the past 10 years, the BJP has “literally destroyed the country.”  It came to power claiming transparency but is indulging in dictatorship with the ED, CBI and I-T probes being “used like a washing machine” to force political opponents to submission.

Sources said  Shinde was echoing the feelings of many in the MNS who feel that Raj has left them in the lurch.