Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam launched a scathing attack on Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS president Raj Thackeray today, accusing them of forsaking the foundational values of Sena founder Bal Thackeray for political gain. Speaking at a Mumbai press conference, Nirupam claimed Uddhav’s alliance with Congress contradicts Bal Thackeray’s Hindutva ideology, while Raj’s anti-Hindi and anti-Hindutva stance betrays the Sena’s core principles.

“The Thackeray brand, built on Prabodhankar and Balasaheb’s convictions, has been abandoned for power and survival,” Nirupam said, taking a dig at Aaditya Thackeray for failing to maintain the family’s grip on the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and among legislators. He dismissed Raj’s Mira Road rally as pre-BMC election “drama,” asserting Mumbai’s inseparable bond with Maharashtra.

Praising Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as the true heir to Bal Thackeray’s legacy, Nirupam highlighted Shinde’s efforts to uplift Marathi language and culture. He accused the Shiv Sena (UBT) of neglecting Marathi interests during its 1997–2022 BMC tenure, citing the closure of 131 Marathi-medium schools, a 40% drop in Marathi student enrollment, and contracts awarded to non-Marathi contractors allegedly linked to the party. “This was a betrayal of the Marathi manoos,” Nirupam said, claiming public resentment persists.

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