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"In 1988, Shiv Sena Pramukh (Balasaheb Thackeray) had promised that Aurangabad will be renamed as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, I am glad that it happened under the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) rule," said former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray at a massive rally in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (previously Aurangabad) on Sunday, 2 April.
Thackeray was addressing a gathering as a part of the MVA's show of strength termed in the presence of several MVA leaders including Congress leaders Ashok Chavan and Balasaheb Thorat, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar, and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray, among others.
The rally came on the heels of the recent communal violence in the city on Ram Navami, that claimed the life of one civilian and injured several others.
MVA leaders at the 'Vajramuth' rally in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (Aurangabad) on 2 April.
(Photo: Twitter/Shiv Sena (UBT))
As the MVA leaders, including Uddhav, highlighted the achievements of their tenure while targeting PM Narendra Modi, Devendra Fadnavis, and Shinde over several issues, the MVA collectively pushed back against the 'anti-Savarkar' attacks that the BJP was subjecting it to in the past week.
A day after Gandhi, following his disqualification from the Lok Sabha, said that he was 'not Savarkar to apologise', the ripples were felt in Maharashtra with Uddhav himself condemning the comments in the strongest terms. His party also refused to attend a joint Opposition meet called by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge. The state BJP upped the ante and cornered Uddhav with Shinde and Fadnavis conducting a joint press conference to question him and his continuation with the MVA despite 'Congress' repeated insults of Savarkar'.
While the Shinde-BJP alliance did manage to corner Uddhav over the matter last week, the MVA, in the recent rally managed to push back.
The Congress, while merely touching the topic, said that it 'respects all leaders of the state who belonged to the freedom movement.'
Congress leader Ashok Chavan at the MVA rally in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar on 2 April.
(Photo: Twitter/Ashok Chavan)
Contrary to the Congress' 'touch-and-go' approach, Pawar and Uddhav went all guns blazing against the Shinde-BJP alliance over the matter.
"There is a lot being spoken about the 'gaurav yatras'. The people have seen how the former governor (Bhagat Singh Koshyari) had insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Jyotiba Phule, and Savitribai Phule. There is no doubt that all the leaders contributed to the freedom movement. There were comments made against Savarkar recently (by Rahul Gandhi), but the issues were settled after senior leaders intervened. As the MVA rally was planned today here, they deliberately planned the 'gaurav yatra' nearby in the presence of two union ministers and one state minister. We don't oppose the yatra but you are resorting to two-faced politics," Pawar alleged, asking why were such rallies not taken out against Koshyari.
NCP leader Ajit Pawar at the MVA rally in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar on 2 April.
(Photo: Twitter/NCP)
Thackeray targeted the BJP and Shinde over the yatras saying the sacred saffron (flag) doesn't look good in their hands.
"Savarkar suffered rigorous imprisonment and hardships for the Independence of the country and not to make Modi the prime minister. Will you fulfil Savarkar's dream of 'akhand Bharat'?" Thackeray asked.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray at the MVA rally in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar on 2 April.
(Photo: Twitter/Shiv Sena (UBT))
The pushback by the MVA on the Savarkar narrative is strong, with the Sambhaji Nagar gaurav yatras having received lukewarm response, but the issue is something that's going to keep cropping up repeatedly for the MVA, specifically for Uddhav.
With all the Hindutva rallies being carried out in the state, the 'Savarkar Gaurav Yatras' are likely to gain momentum soon, in a bid to keep targeting Uddhav over the matter and to keep the narrative of him 'giving up Hindutva' burning, senior political analyst Prakash Pawar said.
"With their comments of Savarkar not being conferred with Bharat Ratna yet, Pawar and Uddhav are targeting the Savarkar sympathisers supporting the BJP and striking the right chord," he said.
Political experts say that even if the BJP tries to rake up the Savarkar issue repeatedly, it won't translate into votes for either of the sides and hence there haven't really been any political attempts outside Maharashtra as well.
With its carefully strategised pushback, the MVA for now has quelled the narrative led by the Shinde-BJP alliance. In the Opposition parties meet led by Kharge last week following the controversy, it was decided to not rake up issues like Savarkar when not necessary. If the strategy succeeds and the Opposition parties are careful enough to not fall prey to the BJP's tactics, the matter might not be of much political relevance in the run-up to the 2024 elections, Prakash Pawar said.
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