Thackeray Lashes Out at BJP, Labels Them as 'Power Jihadists'

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray accused BJP of 'power jihad' and engaging in divisive tactics. He criticized Union Home Minister Amit Shah, dubbed him a political descendant of Ahmad Shah Abdali, and called out the current government for bribing voters with freebies and failing infrastructure promises.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday leveled serious allegations against his former ally-turned-rival, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing them of engaging in 'power jihad' by breaking political alliances to form a government.

Thackeray fired back at Union Home Minister Amit Shah's 'Aurangzeb Fan Club' comment, labeling Shah a political heir of Ahmad Shah Abdali, the Afghan ruler who defeated the Marathas in the battle of Panipat. He accused the Eknath Shinde-led government of using schemes like the Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana to bribe voters with 'revdis' (freebies).

At a rally in Pune, Thackeray criticized the BJP for causing communal divisions and practicing a distorted form of Hindutva. He also took a jab at PM Modi over leaks in the new Parliament building and called Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari the 'Khadde Purush' for unfulfilled promises on road infrastructure.