‘Sena’s fight against injustice to continue’

MUMBAI : Shiv Sena chief and Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said the party’s fight against injustice will continue, similar to how Maratha warrior king Shivaji fought against the Mughals.

Thackeray, in his speech on the diamond jubilee celebration of Bal Thackeray’s weekly magazine ‘Marmik’, said that Shivaji Maharaj stood up against the mighty Mughals and taught the ‘Marathi manoos’ to not cower against injustice.

The statement comes at a time when the state government is engaged in a legal battle with the Centre over the takeover of the investigation into the Sushant Singh Rajput case by CBI. Thackeray, during the 2014 state elections, had likened Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ministers to Bijapur general Afzal Khan.

“The identity of Marathi manoos is such that they would not do injustice to others, and if injustice is meted out to them, they will not leave the person. We must fight against injustice. Shivaji Maharaj taught us that. The Mughals were so powerful, despite that, a 16-17-year-old boy stood up against them and won Torna fort. If at that time, someone would have thought how to fight against the powerful Mughals, forget winning, then swarajya [self-rule] would not have been established. Therefore, without thinking about winning or losing, injustice will be rooted out of this soil,” Thackeray said.

Sena leader Sanjay Raut, earlier in the day, said the state government was fighting in the Supreme Court to protect its rights within the federal structure.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Raut said the case had been “technically” handed over to CBI.

“The Mumbai Police is investigating the case and if there is anything else to probe, the CBI can do it… Bring Mossad and KGB too. There is nothing to hide. We are not opposing the CBI. When the Mumbai Police is already on the job, what will the CBI do?”

Raut also defended Sena leader and Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray, who is being linked to the actor’s case. “Aaditya Thackeray has nothing to do with the case. Nobody has taken his name, rather media has been taking his name. Everyone knows where today’s journalism is heading.”