Union Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday that those who chose to “lick the soles” of people with opposing ideologies had discovered which side truth was on, following the Election Commission’s declaration of the faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as the real Shiv Sena and awarding it the ‘bow and arrow’ symbol.
Shah also said the Bharatiya Janata Party’s ideological bases were being completed under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, adding the Centre was “moving in the direction of the Common Civil Code”.
Without naming Uddhav Thackeray, Shah said at the launch of the Marathi version of the book ‘Modi@20’ that there was no agreement on sharing the chief ministership in the run-up to the 2019 Assembly elections.
After the results of the 2019 Assembly elections were announced, the Shiv Sena broke its alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party, claiming the latter had broken a promise to share the CM’s post with it.
Uddhav led the Maha Vikas Aghadi with the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress until it fell in June last year after Shinde rebelled.
“The Election Commission brought out absolute truth yesterday. Yesterday, the phrase satyamev jayate was characterised”, Shah made the remarks in the presence of Chief Minister Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
“Those who used to shout by taking refuge of falsehood today found out on whose side truth is,” he said without naming Thackeray.
“During the (2019) state election, I was the party chief. We fought the election together, put up a bigger photo of Modiji than his (Thackeray), and contested the election by knowing Fadnavis as the leader. But to become CM, (he) went on to lick the soles of people having an opposite ideology,” Shah further said.
He urged those in attendance to ensure that all seats in Maharashtra fall into the hands of the BJP and the Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Maharashtra will hold Assembly elections in 2024, just a few months after the Lok Sabha elections.
“Forget about us, these people (Uddhav faction) betrayed the ideology of Balasaheb and Shiv Sainiks”, said Shah.