Why is Shiv Sena Agitated Over Narayan Rane's Remark on Thackeray?

What caused the bitter feud between Narayan Rane and Uddhav Thackeray? And where is it headed? Tune in!

The Big Story podcast on feud between Uddhav Thackeray and Narayan Rane. Image used for representation only.

(Photo: Kamran Akhter/The Quint)

The decade's long feud between Narayan Rane and Uddhav Thackeray has reached a new low with the former, a Union minister, being arrested for his remarks against Thackeray.

In one of his address to the media on Monday, 23 August, Rane had alleged that Thackeray had forgotten the year of India's Independence during his 15 August address to the state and had to check the same with his aides during his speech. He added that if he was present there, he would have given Thackeray a "tight slap". And swiftly he was arrested by Nashik police, on Tuesday, 24 August.

His comments resulted not just in his arrest but also violent clashes between Shiv Sena and BJP workers, large protests and vandalism in several cities across Maharashtra. In one visual captured on social media, a Shiv Sena worker can be seen pelting stones at the BJP office in Nashik.

But the arrest also comes just a few months ahead of the Maharashtra municipal corporation elections, where the MVA and the BJP are expected to battle it out in key constituencies like Mumbai and Thane.

In a bid to regain political control of the state, the BJP has positioned Rane in Maharashtra to take on the MVA.

But why was the Shiv Sena up in arms about Rane’s comments? What caused the bitter feud between Rane and Thackeray? And where is it headed?

To discuss this, for today’s episode, we spoke with senior journalist and author Sujata Anandan.