BJP, Sena mock Uddhav over last row seat 'insult' at INDIA meet

The Bharatiya Janata Party BJP and Shiv Sena on Friday mocked Uddhav Thackeray for his painful last row seat insult at the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance INDIA bloc meeting in Delhi a day earlier while asserting that the Congress had shown ally Shiv Sena UBT its rightful placeChief Minister Devendra Fadnavis remarked that when Thackeray was with the BJP he always sat in the front rowSpeaking to reporters in Pune Fadnavis said the Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray chief often talks about not bowing before DelhiBut see the situation now when they are not even in power It is painful When he was with us he was always seated in the front row rather ahead of all of us Now its evident how much respect he is getting there the CM saidDeputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde further ridiculed Thackeray stating that those who have been insulted do not seem to feel anything about itThose who mortgage selfpride and abandon Bal Thackerays ideals will not feel anything about it Congress has shown them their place You should ask them why they Uddhav and Aaditya Thackeray were made to sit in the back rows Shinde saidThackeray his son Aaditya and party Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament MP Sanjay Raut were seen occupying the last rows during the INDI alliance meeting while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi delivered a presentation on alleged irregularities in the electoral rollsThe Maharashtra BJP posted a screenshot of the gathering on X _ pictwittercomBuSuqAN6Qvmdash BJP4Maharashtra August 7 2025Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar stated Making Thackeray sit in the last row is an insult to Maharashtra Uddhav may accept such an insult but we are hurt Rahul Gandhi should not have treated him this wayBJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhye commented When Uddhav Thackeray was with us he was treated graciously and with proper respect All the senior leaders of BJP used to visit his residence Matoshri Look at the situation now He went with Congress and ended up in the last lane of insult and humiliationIn a jibe at the Thackerays Shiv Sena Lok Sabha MP Naresh Mhaske pointed out that even parties with only one MP were seated in the front rowsBalasaheb Thackeray taught us selfrespect but you did not learn anything from his teachings If you have any selfrespect then rise against it Mhaske said in a post on XMhaske noted that on the occasion of Aurangzebs 50th birthday Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was invited to Agra and DelhiHowever after being made to sit amongst 4000 mansabdars imperial officers the humiliation ignited Shivaji Maharajs pride and he walked out of the court defiantlyWhere on one hand we had Shivaji Maharaj who rose in anger over such an insult today we have Uddhav Thackeray who keeps sitting even after being pushed to the last row in a meeting of allied parties This is a shameful sight for Maharashtra Mhaske saidOn the one hand Uddhav Thackeray claims to uphold Shivaji Maharajs legacy but on the other he tramples every ideal of the great kingmdashsomething he began the day he aligned with the Congress Mhaske assertedShiv Sena minister Uday Samant observed that when Shinde visits Delhi he is photographed sitting beside Prime Minister Narendra Modi while the Sena UBT leaders are pictured in the last rows at INDIA alliance meetingsMaharashtra now understands who possesses what calibre Sawant added in a pointed comment aimed at the Shiv Sena UBT leadershipResponding to the barrage of criticism Aaditya Thackeray took a swipe at Shinde saying that some people scramble to sit in the front rowIt was a homely environment in the meeting It is our decision on where to sit away from the screen What has irked them Shiv Sena and BJP is that the Election Commission of India runs from their office which was exposed by Rahul Gandhi Aaditya Thackeray saidRaut noted that Gandhi was delivering a presentation and Uddhav was invited to sit in the frontBut he Uddhav said it was more comfortable sitting in the back rows for a better view Raut claimedUddhav ji Rashmi Thackeray and Aaditya Thackeray were the only ones who Rahul Gandhi Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi gave a tour of Rahul Gandhis new house Raut saidWith PTI inputs