As Uddhav-Raj reunion buzz gains traction, Sena (UBT), MNS leaders say it's easier said than done
_vb_44.jpeg)
Mumbai (PTI): With speculations about rapprochement between Uddhav Thackeray and his estranged cousin Raj Thackeray gathering steam, leaders of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have said that though it is a promising prospect, personal ties and organisational synergy are hurdles that need to be overcome.
The Thackeray cousins have sparked a buzz about a possible reconciliation, with statements indicating they could ignore "trivial issues" and join hands nearly two decades after they parted ways.
While MNS chief Raj Thackeray has said uniting in the interests of Marathi manoos is not difficult, former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has said that he was ready to put aside trivial fights, provided those working against the state's interests were not entertained.
The Sena (UBT) on Saturday put up a cryptic post on its social media handles, saying, "Time has come to unite for the sake of Mumbai and Maharashtra. Shivsainiks are ready for the protection of Marathi asmita (pride)."
The cousins are currently abroad. Raj is expected to return in the last week of April, and Uddhav in the first week of May.
The reunion buzz has also come at a time when both parties have reached a nadir with regard to their electoral performance and are going through their toughest political phase.
The Sena (UBT) won 20 seats, while the MNS drew a blank in the 2024 assembly polls.
Leaders of both parties have, however, said that though Uddhav's response to Raj's call may have sparked speculation, it is easier said than done.
A Sena (UBT) leader said both cousins are of different temperaments.
The past baggage over more than two decades has resulted in mistrust towards each other — Raj had quit the Shiv Sena in 2005 and blamed Uddhav for it. He has made it clear several times that he could work under no one but Bal Thackeray.
Last week, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said family relations are not severed because of politics.
But personal ties are not just restricted to two individuals — it is also about their immediate families, especially the sons of both the cousins — Aaditya (Uddhav) and Amit (Raj) — who are being groomed to helm the organisation eventually.
This will be different, unlike the alliance between the undivided Shiv Sena, Congress and the undivided NCP in 2019, said Prakash Akolkar, the author of "Jai Maharashtra", a book on the history of Shiv Sena.
"The fight between Uddhav and Raj is personal and a family feud, where both brothers are vying for the family assets. The assets are not always monetary. Here, the asset is Bal Thackeray's legacy," Akolkar said.
He said Bal Thackeray's wife Meena was the family's matriarch and played a critical role in the party behind the scenes.
"Now, the spouses (of Uddhav and Raj) are matriarchs of their parties and will play a similar role if there is any possibility of reconciliation," Akolkar added.
Maharashtra Minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane had last week questioned if Uddhav Thackeray had consulted his wife Rashmi before responding to Raj's statement that triggered speculation of an alliance.
A Sena (UBT) leader acknowledged that coming together of the two parties is more difficult than it appears.
The prospect of the two cousins coming together has enthused supporters of both parties, but it might not be the case with a section of cadres and party leaders.
"When we discuss seat-sharing agreements in Mumbai, how will the seats be divided? How will the winnable and non-winnable seats be divided? What about areas like Dadar and Worli, where both parties have a strong base? What about other cities where Sena (UBT) and MNS have their strength," an MNS leader said.
He also raised the question of ideologies.
While Raj is fashioning himself into a Marathi-Hindutva leader, Uddhav has focused on making the party more inclusive, especially warming up to the Muslim community.
"If Uddhav has asked us to sever ties with the BJP, will he do the same with the Congress?" asked the MNS leader.
Last week, MNS spokesperson and party's Mumbai president Sandeep Deshpande asked if Uddhav would apologise to 17,000 MNS activists who were slapped with police cases for protesting against loudspeakers outside mosques when he was the chief minister.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Deaf and mute woman breaks 16-year silence, exposes serial sexual abuse, blackmail in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): A deaf and mute woman's complaint about a sexual assault that took place 16 years ago in Mumbai has unmasked a serial predator, revealing a disturbing pattern of abuse and blackmail he perpetrated on several women from the community.
The accused was arrested on December 13 after the survivor broke her silence recently following the suicide attempt by one of the women he allegedly sexually harassed.
Disturbed by the suicide attempt, she confided in her friends during a video call about the assault that occurred in 2009.
According to the police, the survivor, a resident of the western suburbs, communicated in sign language during a video call with her friends and colleagues, who were part of a WhatsApp group, that the accused had drugged and raped her when she was a minor.
She also took her husband into confidence, and with support from Thane Deaf Association president Vaibhav Ghaisis, activist Mohammed Farhan Khan, sign language interpreter Madhu Keni, and a retired officer from the Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of Speech and Hearing Disabilities Divyangjan, the survivor approached the police.
The survivor, her husband and a few of her friends went to the Kurar police station, where her statement was recorded in camera, with Keni as interpreter, and the accused, Mahesh Pawar, was arrested a few hours later from Virar, a suburb in Palghar district.
ALSO READ: Drug peddler's property worth Rs 1 crore attached in Srinagar
Recalling the trauma she endured 16 years ago, the survivor said that a female friend had invited her to explore the city in July 2009 and took her to Pawar's home in Vakola, Santacruz, an official said.
The accused allegedly offered her samosas and some beverage to celebrate the female friend's birthday. The survivor said she was forced to have the drink, which Pawar had allegedly spiked, and after a while, her friend left her alone with him.
The accused allegedly overpowered and raped her, and later blackmailed her with the recorded video of the assault.
The trauma of assault stayed with her over the years, and the attempted suicide of another woman from the community, allegedly assaulted by Pawar, propelled her to come forward.
A probe has revealed that the accused had similarly drugged and assaulted speech and hearing impaired women and threatened them into silence by blackmailing them with obscene videos, a senior police officer said.
The accused allegedly shot obscene videos of several women, using which he blackmailed them and extorted money, gold and mobile phones, he said.
He allegedly forced women into participating in nude video calls with him and recorded these to threaten them, the official said.
"As per initial investigation so far, we have evidence of his abuse of seven women, but the number can increase to more than 24," the official told PTI.
While Pawar has been remanded in judicial custody, no other woman has come forward with a complaint against him as yet, he said.
Talking to PTI, Keni said all women who have survived abuse and harassment by Pawar want to lodge a complaint against him.
She claimed that the accused had extorted money from one of the women he abused, but did not return the sum even when she needed it for a medical emergency.
