The BJP and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Friday slammed the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi for offering the “last bench” to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray at the INDIA bloc meeting in New Delhi held a day before. 

The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader on Thursday attended a meeting held by top INDIA bloc leaders at the residence of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. A photo of the meeting went viral, where Thackeray is seen sitting in the last row. However, the UBT Sena camp has refuted the charges of “humiliating treatment”. 

Friend turned foes BJP and Shinde Sena, sensing an opportunity to embarrass Thackeray, took potshots at the development. On Friday, CM Devendra Fadnavis said, “When he [Uddhav] was here [as BJP’s key alliance partner], it was always the first row that was offered to them.”  Mumbai BJP unit chief Ashish Shelar termed it as ‘Maharashtra’s insult’.