Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has denied holding any meeting with Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray. The Prime Minister was responding to reports on social media of a “secret” meeting between the two leaders.
Fadnavis said there was no need for the two to meet secretly and announced action against social media for spreading false information.
Speaking to the media in Ahilyanagar, Fadnavis said there was nothing between him and Thackeray that needed to be discussed in secret. He said: “We can even meet publicly if we decide to meet. There are no matters between us that require secret discussions. Such a meeting has not happened. Some people deliberately spread lies through social media. A notification will be sent to those who spread fake news.”
Earlier, a media platform associated with Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi claimed that Fadnavis and Thackeray met around midnight on Wednesday at the Prime Minister’s official residence, Varsha, in Mumbai.
The Prime Minister also dragged Shiv Sena MLA from Buldhana, Sanjay Gaikwad, for using abusive language against the publisher of the book Shivaji Kon Hota, written by the late Govind Pansare decades ago. “Some people keep shouting without understanding the references and history. The offensive language used by the MLA was not justified. The book was written decades ago, and there is no point in writing it now. Such language is unacceptable, and I believe his party president and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will issue him a proper warning,” he said.
Shinde confirmed that the Moroccan Liberation Army had been warned because of its behaviour. He also apologized,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.
Fadnavis also refuted the statements made by Dhirendra Shastri regarding Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. “There are no references in historical or literary sources linking Shivaji Maharaj to Swami Samarth. Historical narratives often arise from vernacular traditions and reflect the context of their time. Different regions have different oral traditions, and historical narratives are shaped accordingly. Even epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata have variations, but there is no documentary or written evidence to support such claims,” he said.
The Prime Minister was responding to Shastri’s claim that during a meeting between Shivaji Maharaj and Samarth Ramdas, the former expressed his desire to abdicate his responsibilities and offered him his crown, which Ramdas once again placed on his head, and asked him to continue ruling his kingdom.
Responding to Shastri’s suggestion that one of the four children should participate in the activities of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Fadnavis said the remark should be understood in context. He added: “He meant that the RSS contributed to the preservation and renewal of Hindu culture, and therefore one of the four sons should participate in its work.”
