Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde attended the party’s 60th foundation day celebrations on Friday (June 19). During the event, he targeted the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and hinted at political change coming soon. He said, “This is just a trailer; the real film is yet to come.” “Look, this lion is standing in front of you today.” Attacking the opposition, he said, “People make noise in the crowd, while the lion walks alone.”
**Attack on Uddhav Thackeray group**
Addressing party workers, Shinde gave a strong reply to opposition leaders who were targeting him over the possibility of leaving the party. He said that people were curious to know what he would say and who would be on the stage. Without naming Uddhav Thackeray or Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, Shinde responded to the UBT faction’s warning of ‘Operation Tudva’ (operation to break the party). Raut had threatened that if the rebel MLAs went to their constituencies, party workers would crush them.
**What did he say on Sanjay Raut’s comments?**
Shinde mocked Raut’s political stature and issued an open and strong challenge to the UBT leadership. He said that some people had claimed that he would perform ‘operations’ on ‘wolves’, but jokingly said, “He is just a compounder. How can a compounder perform operations? Shrikant Shinde (his son) is the real doctor here. Even though I am not a doctor, I know how to operate, and to operate, one needs the heart of a lion, not that of a wolf.”
**Remembering the days of the 2022 rebellion**
Recalling his rebellion in June 2022, Eknath Shinde said that when he returned to Mumbai four years ago, the same leaders had threatened him. He said, “I had to come via Worli. Mumbai is not anyone’s private property. I traveled here alone by road – without using a helicopter – and also stayed in Worli.”
The Deputy Chief Minister commented, “At that time, the people who were threatening me were sitting in their homes watching me online.” Supporting the statements of senior leader Ramdas Kadam, Shinde warned that if the UBT faction talks of ‘Operation Sabotage’, then they should have the courage to confront his faction. He asked, “Will your feet be safe if our zealous Shiv Sainiks come out to crush someone? Our workers follow the staunch ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray.”