Mumbai:

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday launched a blistering attack on Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray saying he buried the Hindutva ideology of Bal Thackeray for power and joined hands with Congress and socialist parties.

Addressing a massive gathering at the Dussehra rally of Shiv Sena in Azad Maidan, Mr Shinde, without naming Uddhav Thackeray, said he back-stabbed Bal Thackeray by committing dishonesty with his ideological legacy.

Mr Shinde said he won’t be surprised if they (Shiv Sena-UBT) ally with Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM and even “hug terrorist organisations such as Hamas, Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba for their selfish motives and chair (power)”.

He also reiterated that the state government is committed to granting quota to Marathas which will stand the legal scrutiny and appealed to youths not to take extreme steps like dying by suicide.

“You have buried the Hindutva ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray by going with Congress and Samajwadis for power. Balasaheb had given ‘Garv se kaho hum Hindu hai’ slogan from ‘Shivtirth’ (Shivaji Park ground) but slogans like ‘Garv se kaho hum Congressi and Samajwadi hai’ are being given from that venue,” Mr Shinde said.

The Shiv Sena faction led by Uddhav Thackeray organised conventional annual Dusshra rally on Shivaji Park ground in Dadar, which the party terms ‘Shivtirth’.

He said the parties who used to target the BJP by questioning the timeline for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya are feeling embarrassed now.

“They have lost their face. How will they go to Ayodhya now?” he asked.

Before reaching the venue of the rally on Tuesday night, Mr Shinde went to Cross Maidan, also in south Mumbai, to witness Ravan dahan (burning of effigy of Ravan) as part of Ram Leela celebrations.

A large number of people reached Azad Maidan from various parts of the state in buses, trains, and private vehicles.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)