Balasaheb Thackeray Memorial Row: Shinde vs Uddhav Rivalry Deepens Over Chairperson Post – News18

Last Updated:January 14, 2025, 12:21 IST

The controversy surrounding the chairmanship dates back to November 2022 when Prasad Lad, a close aide of Fadnavis and a member of the legislative council, demanded that the state government take control of the memorial

In a move that has reignited tensions between the Eknath Shinde faction and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), the Shinde group has approved a proposal to remove the former chief minister from the chairpersonship of the Balasaheb Thackeray Memorial.

Senior Shinde faction leader Ramdas Kadam confirmed that the proposal will soon be submitted to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for approval. This development is expected to escalate the ongoing political rivalry between the two factions. The controversy surrounding the chairmanship dates back to November 2022, when Prasad Lad, a close aide of Fadnavis and a member of the legislative council, demanded that the state government take control of the memorial. The demand had sparked a heated debate at the time, but the issue remained unresolved.

Leading the charge against Thackeray, Ramdas Kadam questioned the legitimacy of his position as chairperson of the memorial.

“Uddhav Thackeray has no right to hold the chairmanship of Balasaheb Thackeray’s memorial. He should be removed immediately,” Kadam asserted. “Where is your self-respect now, Uddhav? You criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and CM Fadnavis. Yet, you now find yourself meeting Fadnavis. Have you mortgaged your pride? Do you not feel ashamed while meeting him?” Kadam asked.

He added that Balasaheb Thackeray, the late Shiv Sena founder, would not approve of Uddhav’s current political actions. “Uddhav’s presence at Balasaheb’s memorial would only cause pain to Balasaheb’s soul. How can someone who has trampled upon Balasaheb’s ideology be associated with his memorial?” Kadam said.

Deputy chief minister of Maharashtra and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde echoed Kadam’s sentiments and questioned Uddhav Thackeray’s moral authority. “Who abandoned Balasaheb’s ideology? Who formed an alliance with Congress for personal gains and the chief minister’s chair? Such individuals have no right to talk about values or Balasaheb’s legacy,” Shinde said. Pointing out the irony in the Uddhav faction’s allegations, he added: “This memorial is being built by the government, not any single individual. Balasaheb belonged to the people, not to any one family or faction. Those who have betrayed his ideals cannot be allowed to misuse his name.”

Reacting to the row, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said: “The Eknath Shinde faction seems to be making decisions that clearly reflect Shinde’s voice, but everyone knows who is pulling the strings behind him. If they continue to use such language, it raises a question: should the loyalty and relationship they claimed to have with the Thackeray family for the past 40 years be dismissed as hollow? You left the party claiming it was for the truth, but instead, you broke the party and are now bending over backwards to please Delhi. And yet, you seek to remove Uddhav Thackeray from the position associated with Balasaheb Thackeray’s memorial? This shows that you’ve been completely brainwashed. Let me tell you clearly, people like you can never be ours, nor will you ever remain one of us.”

The dispute over the memorial is not just a fight over a position; it is a clash over the legacy of one of Maharashtra’s most iconic political figures. Both factions claim to uphold the true vision of Balasaheb Thackeray, with the Shinde group accusing Uddhav of abandoning his father’s Hindutva ideology for political convenience. The Shinde faction’s push to remove Uddhav from the memorial chairmanship is a calculated political move. It aims to reinforce their narrative that the Uddhav faction has strayed from Balasaheb’s principles by aligning with the Congress and NCP under the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) banner.

The proposal to oust Uddhav Thackeray from the memorial’s chairmanship is expected to intensify the already bitter rivalry between the Shinde and Uddhav factions. If the state government approves the proposal, it could lead to a legal and political battle. For Uddhav Thackeray, this is yet another challenge to his leadership and legitimacy within the Shiv Sena. The memorial, a symbolic representation of Balasaheb’s legacy, holds emotional and political significance, and losing control over it would be a major setback for the Uddhav faction.

On the other hand, for the Shinde group, the move is an opportunity to assert their dominance and present themselves as the true torchbearers of Balasaheb’s ideology. As the Shinde faction pushes to remove Uddhav Thackeray from the memorial’s chairmanship, the conflict is likely to escalate further, keeping the state’s political landscape charged in the coming days.