Thackeray Cousins Target Modi Government At Tiranga Rally, Hint At E20 Agitation

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to stop “breaking political parties” and concentrate on governance, while Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray hailed the youth-led agitation over the NEET-UG paper leak controversy.

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Thackeray cousins address Tiranga Vijay Rally

The Thackeray cousins were addressing a massive Tiranga Vijay Rally organised jointly by the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS at Shivaji Park in Mumbai. The rally, which saw participation from thousands of youngsters as well as people from different age groups, was organised in support of the student movement that has been demanding accountability over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations.

The rally came a day after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned amid mounting criticism over the NEET-UG controversy.

Uddhav targets PM over political defections

Reacting to Pradhan’s resignation, Uddhav said, “A cockroach has defeated the dictator,” in an apparent reference to the Modi government. He urged the Prime Minister to focus on running the country instead of engineering defections and splits in opposition parties.

“Modiji, stop focusing on breaking political parties and instead work on governance. Your Cabinet ministers like Nirmala Sitharaman and Rajnath Singh were busy defending Dharmendra Pradhan,” Uddhav said.

Taking a swipe at the Union ministers, he said the Finance Minister was not speaking about inflation or the falling rupee but was instead defending the government on the paper-leak controversy. He also attacked Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, alleging that he was busy “protecting” Pradhan instead of focusing on national security.

Uddhav also took a dig at Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, referring to him as the “pothole minister” before saying that he was now speaking about ethanol. His remarks drew laughter and applause from the gathering.

Uddhav calls rally a youth movement

Uddhav said the rally was not an electoral victory celebration but a demonstration of the strength of the youth movement.

“This is not a celebration after winning an election. It is proof that patriots have defeated blind followers. The fire of this agitation has now spread across the country,” he said.

He appealed to the youth to keep the movement alive and said the opposition was not currently concerned about elections.

“Elections can go to hell. Modi may be able to steal votes, but he cannot steal people,” Uddhav said, adding that the spark generated by the student agitation must be kept alive.

Centre criticised over student deaths

He also criticised the Centre over the alleged hardships faced by families of students who died by suicide following the examination controversy. “The pain suffered by the families of students who died after the NEET paper leak is far greater than the pain felt while removing a favourite minister from the Cabinet,” he said.

Uddhav described the ongoing political battle as a struggle between “BJP and Bharat” and appealed to people to participate by keeping caste and religion aside.

“Remember that you are Indian,” he said.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief also appeared to signal that the opposition’s next major campaign could focus on E20, or petrol blended with 20 per cent ethanol. He alleged that ethanol-blended fuel had affected vehicle mileage and increased maintenance costs, while also raising concerns over engine performance.

Meanwhile, Raj Thackeray congratulated the youth for forcing the government to respond to their agitation.

“We have gathered here to celebrate the success of the movement that you ignited across the country. This agitation has shown how Gen Z can pull down the government’s arrogance,” Raj said.

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Raj read out the names of 21 youngsters who had allegedly died by suicide following the NEET controversy and appealed to the gathering to observe silence in their memory.

The rally began from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Maidan at Shivaji Park and proceeded towards the Siddhivinayak Temple. Thousands of participants carrying the Tricolour gathered at Shivaji Park, with patriotic songs playing during the event.

Leaders and workers from the opposition camp, including the Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT), attended the rally. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, MNS leader Amit Thackeray and NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar were among those present.

The joint appearance of Uddhav and Raj Thackeray drew an enthusiastic response from the crowd, with slogans reverberating across Shivaji Park.

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