Maharashtra: ‘Real’ vs ‘fake’ Shiv Sena war intensifies in Mumbai over tribute to Veer Savarkar

The ‘Asli’ (original) vs ‘Nakli’ (fake) Shiv Sena row once again intensified on Monday as candidates from both factions (Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray) filed their nominations from the Mumbai South Central Lok Sabha seat.

Shiv Sena leader Rahul Shewale paid homage to the statues of Savarkar and Bal Thackeray at Shivaji Park in Mumbai before filing his nomination.

After this, Shewale targeted the rival Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Anil Desai for not paying tribute to Savarkar’s statue due to “pressure from Congress”.

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“Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently clarified that ‘Asli Shiv Sena’ is with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde while Uddhav Thackeray is heading the ‘Nakli Shiv Sena’. This has been proven today as their candidate skipped visiting the Savarkar memorial.

“The fight in Mumbai South Central Lok Sabha seat is between the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray and Congress. Anil Desai is a ‘Nakli’ face of Shiv Sena hiding behind the real face of Congress,” he added.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who was also present with Shewale during his nomination filing, accused the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of abandoning Shiv Sena’s ideology and becoming “puppets of Congress”.

Meanwhile, Anil Desai, Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate in Mumbai South Central seat, paid homage to Bal Thackeray’s memorial at Shivaji Park before filing his nomination.

Desai criticized PM Modi’s frequent rallies in Maharashtra, attributing them to fear of losing elections and a diversion from real issues like inflation and unemployment.

“Despite BJP’s ‘Ab ki baar, 400 paar’ slogan, PM Modi conducted three rallies a day in Maharashtra. It shows their fear of losing the Lok Sabha elections. They want to divert the attention of people from the real issues of inflation, and unemployment,” Desai said.

Even former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray rebutted Shinde’s accusation regarding Savarkar’s ideology, condemning it as a diversionary tactic and an attempt to stoke communal sentiments.

Aaditya Thackeray also said that Shiv Sena (UBT) does not need any certificate from an “illegal Chief Minister” who has “succumbed to the pressures of BJP and central agencies”.