Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Jan 8: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray on Thursday said the oft-cited “?50 crore culture” linked to the Shiv Sena split was not mere political rhetoric but a grave allegation involving massive financial dealings.

Referring to claims that 40 MLAs received Rs 50 crore each during the June 2022 Shiv Sena split, Raj Thackeray said the figure adds up to nearly Rs 2,000 crore. “This is not a joke or a taunt. Where did such a huge amount come from, and whose money was it?” he asked.

In a joint interview with Shiv Sena (UBT) chief and cousin Uddhav Thackeray published in Saamana, Raj accused the ruling Mahayuti alliance of selectively deploying central investigative agencies. He questioned how leaders once branded as “corrupt” by the ruling parties were now comfortably occupying cabinet positions.

Taking a sharp swipe at those who broke away from the original Shiv Sena, Raj Thackeray used a metaphor to describe them as trained falcons perched on a hunter’s hand. “They don’t hunt on their own. They are made to target their own people — the Marathi population — just to please their masters in Delhi,” he said, in an apparent attack on the Eknath Shinde-led faction that split the party founded by Bal Thackeray.

Commenting on chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Raj described him as a “basvilela manus” — a leader who has been installed rather than elected through independent authority. He claimed the chief minister now functions primarily as an agent of Delhi’s political interests. “A leader who is installed can only act on instructions from those who installed him,” he remarked.

Raj Thackeray also mocked Fadnavis over his earlier claims of possessing a “bullock cart full of evidence” against NCP leader and current deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. Pointing to the irony of Ajit Pawar now being part of the same cabinet, Raj asked why the alleged evidence had neither been produced nor acted upon. “If it exists, why is it still only talked about and never shown?” he questioned.

Returning to his long-standing plank of “Marathi Asmita” (Marathi identity), Raj Thackeray voiced serious concern over demographic changes in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. He claimed that around 56 trains carrying migrants from North India arrive in Maharashtra daily and leave empty, arguing that this is not natural migration but a systematic effort to alter the state’s electoral balance.

He warned that there are now open claims that Mumbai’s mayor will soon be a North Indian, which he alleged is part of a broader plan to create new political constituencies and eventually sever Mumbai from Maharashtra. Citing Thane district, he said the rise of eight to nine municipal corporations in the area reflects unchecked population growth that is straining infrastructure and state resources.

Framing the 2026 municipal elections as a decisive moment, Raj Thackeray said they would not be a routine political battle but a final fight to protect Marathi interests. Explaining his alignment with Uddhav Thackeray, he said unity was unavoidable. “If we fail to come together now, there will be nothing left of Maharashtra to protect,” he warned.