Mumbai, Jan 14 (IANS) The Shiv Sena-UBT launched a blistering attack on Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday, accusing him of insulting the common man of Maharashtra and conspiring to diminish Mumbai’s regional identity.

It criticised the Chief Minister’s statements regarding employment and local culture during the campaign for the 29 Municipal Corporation elections, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The Thackeray camp in the party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ editorial titled ‘Vada-Pav Zindabad’ termed ‘Vada-Pav’ as a symbol of Marathi identity and an economic lifeline for thousands, while accusing the state government of failing to protect Maharashtra’s industries.

It slammed CM Fadnavis for “belittling” the Vada-Pav industry during his speech at jointly rally on Monday, saying that while other state leaders take pride in their local food – such as Bihar’s ‘Litti Chokha’, Delhi’s Kachori, or Karnataka’s ‘Benne Dosa’ – the current rulers of Maharashtra seem to “hate” the state’s own ‘Zunka-Bhakar’ and ‘Vada-Pav’.

It further stated that the ‘Vada-Pav’ is not just a snack, but a global symbol of the Marathi’ shramik’ (hardworking class) that has now gone international, reaching cities like New York and London.

“Those who hate the sweat of the common man will never understand the greatness of Vada-Pav,” said the editorial, accusing the BJP of elitism and “hatred” toward the state’s working class.

“The Vada-Pav industry has lit the stoves (chulhas) in thousands of Marathi homes. To insult it is to insult the hard-working common man. This time, the haters of Maharashtra should be ‘fried and roasted’ in the boiling oil of the Vada-Pav stall,” it added.

According to the editorial, major industries and investments are being “kidnapped” from Mumbai and moved to Gujarat.

“Fadnavis says they will provide ’employment, not Vada-Pav.’ But where will this employment come from if you are sending all the projects to Gujarat?” it asked.

The editorial reiterated that the BJP is attempting to “de-link” Mumbai from its Marathi roots to facilitate the shifting of major projects to Gujarat.

A significant portion of the critique is directed at BJP leader K. Annamalai, who recently sparked a row by stating that Mumbai is an “international city” and does not belong only to Maharashtra. The Thackeray camp attacked the state government’s silence on these remarks and questioned why CM Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde have not “shown the courage” to condemn Annamalai’s statements, labelling their silence as a “surrender of Maharashtra’s pride.”

With the BMC polls scheduled for January 15, the editorial described the campaign as a battle of “muscle and money.”

It claimed the BJP is bringing in “goons” from other states to intimidate Marathi voters.

“The recent rally at Shivaji Park by the ‘Mahayuti’ (BJP-Shinde faction) was a failure with empty chairs, whereas the joint rally of the Thackeray brothers (Uddhav and Raj) saw an ocean of people. The joint appearances of Uddhav and Raj Thackeray have created a ‘political storm’ in Marathi heartlands like Lalbaug, Parel, and Worli,” said the editorial.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena warned that the “Marathi Manoos” will not sell their loyalty and future for the “corrupt money” being distributed in the final days before polling.

It accuses “Kamlabai” (a reference to the BJP’s lotus symbol) of attempting to “buy” the election while citing the alleged incidents of BJP workers being caught distributing money in various wards.

–IANS

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