A day after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray announced his unconditional support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-led MahaYuti, the party’s general secretary Kirtikumar Shinde on Wednesday resigned from the primary membership of the MNS, saying that Raj’s move “would not benefit the Marathi people in any way”.
Taking a strong exception to the announcement made by the MNS chief at his “Gudi Padwa” (Marathi New Year) rally on Tuesday evening, Shinde said: “Raj Thackeray may have taken the decision to support to `Bhamosha’ ( BJP-Modi-Shah) in his personal interest, but the decision will in no way benefit the people of Maharashtra. He might have taken the decision to ensure his own as well as the MNS’ survival in politics. But, the truth is not the MNS chief’s side”.
At his “Gudi Padwa” rally, Raj had said that MNS had extended “unconditional support” to BJP-led MahaYuti ‘to ensure Narendra Modi becomes the prime minister for the third term”.
“The country needs strong leadership. I have made it clear to both Devendra Fadnavis (deputy chief minister) and Eknath Shinde (chief minister) that I am not interested in seat adjustments for the Lok Sabha polls. Nor am interested in nominations to Rajya Sabha or Maharashtra Legislative Council polls. I told them that I have decided to extend my unconditional support to the MahaYuti – BJP, Shinde-led Shiv Sena and NCP (Ajit Pawar) only to make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister of the country for the third term,” the MNS chief had said at the rally.
In detailed Facebook post titled “Goodbye MNS’, Shinde alluded to the stand taken by MNS chief at his rally and said that “a time when the country was passing through a decisive phase, Raj saheb has taken U-turn from the stand he had taken in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls” when he had opposed BJP, Modi and Shah vehemently.
“In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Raj saheb had launched a tirade against the BJP through his ‘Laav Re Te Video’ (Play That Video) campaign. I attended all his rallies, wrote detailed articles giving facts and the thoughts he expressed against the BJP-Modi-Shah and made sincere efforts to convey his stand to more and more people,” Shinde said.
“The political analysts will tell you how wrong Raj saheb is or how right he is. Nowadays political leaders can play the role they want, whenever required. Raj saheb enacted his role at the Gudi Padva rally. His political moves have come an ‘unimaginable” full circle. But the fighters (activists) who believe in their ideology are crushed. What about them?, Shinde asked.
He alleged that in the past 10 years, BJP-Modi-Shah had literally destroyed the country “The BJP came to power claiming transparency but is indulging in dictatorship with the ED, CBI, IT probes are being used like a washing machine to force political opponents to submission,” he said.
Shinde said that though he wanted to meet the MNS chief and explain to him the reasons behind his quitting the party. “But that is not possible now... That’s why I have decided to resign from my post as the general secretary and also from the primary membership of the MNS,” Shinde wrote in his post.
While signing off, Shinde said that he had received immense love and affection from Raj Thackeray, son Amit Thackeray, the office bearers and party workers of the MNS. “They all treated me with honour and respect. I expect people not to label my decision to quit the MNS as a rebellion against the party leadership,” he added.
