CM Thackeray's 'chappal' remarks condemnable, Maha alliance not permanent: Cong leader Sanjay Nirupam

By Sandip Kumar Singh

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 20 (ANI): Congress leader Sanjay Nirupan on Sunday condemned the Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for his "chappal" remark and said that the latter should respect those who had helped him become the chief minister. He also said that the MVA alliance between the Congress, the Shiv Sena and the NCP is not a permanent arrangement.

During a function held on the foundation day of Shiv Sena on Saturday, Thackeray had without naming anyone attacked his allies. "A few people are talking about going solo and to fight elections on their own. People would hit them with chappals if they do so," the chief minister had said.

In a conversation with ANI, Nirupam said: "The statement made by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on the foundation day of Shiv Sena is condemnable. Chief Minister is forgetting his 'gathbandhan dharm'. Being an ally, he should respect those because of whom he became the CM of the state."

Nirupam went on to say that the Congress had not given anywhere in writing that Uddhav Thackeray will be the Chief Minister of Maharashtra even after five years.

"Shiv Sena should not forget that Congress is also a political party in the state with a long history of its own. It must not humiliate us," the Congress leader said.

Nirupam further said, "I think that there is a kind of conspiracy going on against the Congress to make it weak and helpless. He further said that he does not know if it is from inside the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) or from the outside."

Further hitting out at the Shiv Sena, Nirupam remarked that the Congress has given the state many chief ministers earlier and just because the party appears weak at the moment, it does not mean it will tolerate any comment on them which is in bad taste.

"We have been contesting the polls in the state on our own. Shiv Sena is no one to decide our strategies. We will not only contest the polls but will also win them and form the government. It would be better for Shiv Sena to start respecting their alliance partners," he said.

Meanwhile, earlier today, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said that those who want to contest the polls on their own are free to do so.

"Shiv Sena has fought political battles on its own. There may be alliances in polls but battles are fought on one's own. Be it an issue related to the prestige of Maharashtra or the existence of Shiv Sena, if we have to fight (for it) we will fight," added the Shiv Sena MP.

This came after Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on June 14 indicated that the party will contest the next Assembly polls alone and not as partners of Maha Vikas Aghadi Alliance. "Congress will contest the Maharashtra Assembly Elections alone. I am ready to be the CM face if the high command decides," Patole had said.

Staunch adversaries for long, the Shiv Sena and the Congress had banded together with the NCP to form the MVA government in Maharashtra after the Uddhav Thackeray-led party fell out with the BJP in 2019. (ANI)