Maharashtra Minister Pratap Sarnaik Claims UBT Legislators Are in Touch with Him

Mumbai, September 9 (Daily Kiran) : Maharashtra’s Transport Minister and Shiv Sena leader, Pratap Sarnaik, has made headlines with his recent claims regarding the political dynamics within the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction. In an interview, Sarnaik asserted that several legislators from the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) camp are reaching out to him, though he refrained from disclosing specific details about their identities or intentions.

He emphasized that while Uddhav Thackeray’s party and the Thackeray family are not disappearing from the political scene, their significance appears to be diminishing. Sarnaik noted that some MPs and MLAs who won elections are beginning to realize their political missteps and are now aligning themselves with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. He clarified that “Operation Tiger” should not be viewed as a formal campaign or a predetermined initiative.

Sarnaik pointed out that the core ideology on which Shiv Sena was founded, particularly Hindutva, has been compromised since Uddhav Thackeray’s alliance with Congress in 2019. He attributed the recent rebellion among legislators to Thackeray’s departure from Hindutva principles, leading to discontent among party members.

Expressing his willingness to be seen as a villain in this context, Sarnaik stated, “If people perceive me as a villain, then so be it. I thank them for that. If it takes being a villain to uphold Balasaheb’s ideology, I am happy to do so.”

On the ongoing debate surrounding the Marathi language, Sarnaik criticized leaders from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for not creating job opportunities in their states 15 years ago, which resulted in a significant influx of people to Mumbai and Maharashtra. He argued that there is nothing wrong with encouraging practical Marathi language learning in this context.

Additionally, Sarnaik expressed disagreement with Minister Nitesh Rane regarding statements about Muslim participation in Garba events and the burqa ban. He suggested that such remarks are often made for publicity. Sarnaik organizes large-scale events for Dahi Handi and Ganesh Chaturthi, where members of the Muslim community participate without issue. He believes unnecessary controversies should not arise around public participation in festivals. He also supported RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s comments linking love and goodwill towards Muslims with Hindu values.