At Dussehra rally, Uddhav Thackeray recalls Ratan Tata's words on Balasaheb's legacy

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday recalled the late Ratan Tata's words about the legacy and heritage which Balasaheb Thackeray left behind.

In Short

• Uddhav Thackeray recalls late Ratan Tata's words on legacy
• Thackeray asserts his party is the real Shiv Sena
• He took veiled jibe at Adani over land issues

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday recalled late Ratan Tata's words about legacy and heritage. Thackeray then went on to assert that his party is the real Shiv Sena and his father Balasaheb Thackeray's name is with him.

Addressing a Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, Thackeray said, "Late Ratan Tata once came to my house and after returning from 'Matoshree' he told me that, 'Uddhav, you and I have a legacy and heritage behind us which we have to take forward'. Ratan Tata had the legacy of his father and I have the legacy of my father, Balasaheb Thackeray."

"We are the real Shiv Sena and Balasaheb Thackeray's name is with me," Uddhav Thackeray asserted.

Without naming him, Thackeray took a veiled jibe at Adani, saying, "Tata’s gave salt to our nation, but some are now taking away salt pans. We wish such land grabbers should have gone, and Tata should have stayed back."

Thackeray criticised the ruling government, calling them responsible for the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue in Sindhudurg. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's apology for the incident, Thackeray remarked, "Modi should understand that Shivaji Maharaj is not an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) to win votes."

The RSS should think whether today's "hybrid BJP" is acceptable to it, Thackeray said. Targeting his former ally ahead of the assembly elections in Maharashtra, Thackeray said the BJP should be ashamed of calling itself "Bharatiya." He also compared it to the Kauravas, accusing it of showing arrogance.