Supriya Sule: 'Balasaheb Thackeray formed only one Shiv Sena'

Supriya Sule/File Photo

In a statement on Sunday, Nationalist Congress Party MP Supriya Sule reiterated that there is only one Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, founded by the late Balasaheb Thackeray. Her response came following Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's remarks regarding the "real" Shiv Sena in an interview, stated a report in ANI.

"Gadkari is the only person in the BJP who speaks the truth. For me, there is only one Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, which was formed by the late Balasaheb Thackeray, and he handed over the responsibility to Uddhav while he was alive. There are duplicate entities currently, but people know the exact difference between gold and bronze," Sule conveyed to reporters in Pune.

According to the report, addressing the issue of contractual recruitment, Sule demanded an apology from Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for allegations against senior Pawar.

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"Devendra ji (Fadnavis) should apologize. He is confused. I feel bad for him. Regarding the GR (Government Resolution) he cited, whose signatures were there on it? What was Sharad Pawar's role in that GR? When making allegations, they should be substantiated. He misled Maharashtra, so he should issue an apology," Sule added.

Fadnavis claimed that decisions related to contractual hiring were made during the 15-year rule of the Democratic Front (DF) coalition, led by Congress leaders Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan from 1999 to 2014. However, the Congress refuted Fadnavis's allegations, the report added.

On Saturday, BJP workers organized a 'Chappal Maro' protest against the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government and former Congress Chief Ministers, Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan. The protest revolved around the contractual recruitment policy.

Eknath Shinde's Maharashtra Government terminated contractual hiring via outsourcing on Saturday, despite significant protests and public uproar. The Maharashtra Government annulled the Government resolution (GR) for contractual recruitments across various government departments, the report stated.

Earlier this month, Maharashtra NCP President Sharad Pawar criticized the Maharashtra Government for hiring personnel on a contractual basis in the Mumbai police and emphasized the need for permanent recruitment.

The ANI report added that Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar, asserted that the decision for contract-based hiring in government departments was made by the previous government.

The Shiv Sena experienced a split in June of the previous year when Eknath Shinde, a Minister in the Uddhav Thackeray cabinet, initiated a coup within the party and formed an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), securing the Chief Minister's post.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of the Shiv Sena appealed to the Supreme Court, challenging the Election Commission's allocation of the name 'Shiv Sena' and the 'Bow and Arrow' symbol to the rival faction led by CM Shinde.

The Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena has sought disqualification proceedings against the MLAs who joined forces with the BJP under Eknath Shinde's leadership.