Maha War Of Words: Uddhav Thackeray's 'Power Jihad' Rebuttal To Amit Shah's 'Aurangzeb' Barb

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of engaging in "power jihad" by breaking apart political parties to maintain its hold on the government, according to a PTI report.

Thackeray made these remarks while addressing party workers in Pune, where he also criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah for labeling him as the head of the "Aurangzeb Fan Club."

Photo Credit: PTI

Thackeray did not hold back in his response, accusing Shah of being the "political descendent" of Ahmad Shah Abdali, the Afghan ruler who defeated the Marathas in the Battle of Panipat.

He also took aim at the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government, slamming the 'Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin' scheme and alleging that it was an attempt to bribe voters with "revdis" (freebies).

Referring to the BJP's criticism of his party's association with Muslims, Thackeray stated, "If Muslims are with us after we explain to them our Hindutva, then we are (according to the BJP) the Aurangzeb Fan Club. Then what you are doing is power jihad."

This exchange follows remarks made by Amit Shah on July 21 at a BJP conclave in Pune, where he had described the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance as an "Aurangzeb fan club" with Uddhav Thackeray as its leader.

Shah stated, "Maha Vikas Aghadi is Aurangzeb fan club. This Aurangzeb fan club cannot ensure India's security. Uddhav Thackeray is the leader of this Aurangzeb Fan Club. This Fan Club cannot make Maharashtra and India safe. It's only the BJP that can ensure the safety and security of all."

Shah also accused Thackeray of abandoning ideology for power during the Lok Sabha elections, claiming, "Uddhav Thackeray shares his meals with people involved with Kasab, he supports PFI and stands against renaming Aurangabad as Sambhaji Nagar."

Uddhav Thackeray was forced to step down as Maharashtra's chief minister in June 2022 after a rebellion led by Eknath Shinde within the Shiv Sena led to the collapse of his government.

In February 2023, the Election Commission of India recognised the Shinde faction as the real Shiv Sena.

With the Maharashtra Assembly elections expected later this year, the political rivalry between the factions is likely to intensify further.