Ashish Shelar Slams ThackerayRally: "Pre-election Advertisement, Not a Language Movement"

BJP leader Ashish Shelar has launched a scathing attack on Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS president Raj Thackeray following their joint 'Vijayi Melava' rally held in Mumbai. The event, organized at the Dome in Worli, was projected as a celebration of the Maharashtra government's decision to withdraw its controversial move to impose Hindi as a compulsory language. However, Shelar dismissed it as mere political theatre ahead of the upcoming civic elections.

“The rally was not about language, but a pre-election advertisement,” Shelar wrote on social media, mocking the apparent show of unity between the estranged Thackeray cousins. “The frightened ‘Ubatha Sena’ has suddenly remembered ‘Bhaubandki’ (brotherhood),” he added sarcastically.

The rally, which saw fiery speeches by both Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, featured sharp criticism of the BJP and the central government. Both leaders also hinted at a possible alliance for the forthcoming BMC elections.

Shelar questioned the credibility of their campaign, saying, “When Prime Minister Modi granted classical language status to Marathi, where were these leaders then? Why didn’t they speak up?”

Terming their speeches a failure, Shelar stated, “Uddhav Thackeray’s speech was irrelevant, while Raj Thackeray’s was incomplete. They don’t even know what the Tribhasha Sutra is or where it originated from. A simple Google search could have helped.”

He didn’t stop there. In a jibe at Raj Thackeray’s past stances, Shelar said, “He gets stomach cramps whenever he talks about English. Even if everyone from Baramati to Kalwa unites, they won’t come back to power.”

Taking another swipe, Shelar said, “Tomorrow, these very people will start doubting EVMs. Frightened people walk hand in hand in the dark. Concluding his remarks, Shelar criticized the tone and content of the rally, saying, “Mockery is Uddhav Thackeray’s old style. But people are wiser now. There was no sincerity in their speeches. The entire event was just a political performance.”