MNS chief Raj Thackeray, speaking in Thane, launched a sharp attack on the BJP and rebel Shiv Sena leaders, calling the current political culture "dirty and horrifying." He warned that defections and the BJP’s strategy of weakening opponents would backfire, likening the party’s reliance on PM Modi to a fragile house of cards.

Thane (Maharashtra): Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the current political landscape in the state and the country, describing it as “dirty and horrifying”.  

Speaking at a press conference in Thane, Thackeray targeted the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and took a sharp dig at the rebel MPs and MLAs who split from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction. 

Commenting on the shifting loyalties and split within the political parties, the MNS chief did not mince his words, using a stark analogy to describe political defections. 

“The question right now is not about those who are buying, but about those who are up for sale. If they are willing to sell their bodies, buyers will always be ready,” he said, targeting the breakaway faction of MPs and MLAs.

Raj Thackeray warned that the political culture taking shape today would have damaging consequences for future generations. 

“Politicians seem to have no realisation of the precedents they are setting. Where are we taking this country?” he questioned.

The MNS chief warned that the BJP’s strategy of neutralising political opponents would eventually backfire, drawing parallels to global history and India’s Emergency period.

“There is immense public anger over the dirty politics being played out in Maharashtra. Tomorrow, when the BJP is no longer in power, it will face the same ordeal. There must be limits to everything,” he said. 

“History shows that whenever rulers have tried to wipe out their opposition, enemies have emerged from within their own ranks to destroy them. This process has already begun within the BJP. Forget about eliminating outside opposition; you have opponents brewing within your own house now, and you will have to deal with it,” he added.

Comparing the BJP’s current power structure to a delicate, inverted house of cards, the MNS chief emphasised the party’s heavy reliance on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“The lowest, foundational card in this structure slips away, the entire building will collapse. Reality is that the BJP today survives solely because of PM Modi, not anyone else. This political game they are playing will heavily backfire on them,” he commented.

Earlier in the day, Thackeray addressed MNS office-bearers in Thane regarding the ‘SIR’ issue. Speaking to the media later, he referenced the assembly elections in West Bengal and Bihar, claiming that a massive state machinery was deployed to impact results, including the alleged removal of 27 lakh votes in Bengal.

“The defeat of a chief minister like Mamata Banerjee is no ordinary feat,” he noted.

Directly naming Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Thackeray claimed that the strategy of breaking opposition parties without merging them into the BJP is a calculated chess move for future leadership claims. 

“Look at the pattern — when Shiv Sena MPs or TMC (Trinamool Congress) MPs split, why aren’t they merged directly into the BJP? Why are separate groups maintained? Tomorrow, if there is internal opposition to a leadership claim for the Prime Minister’s post, these external split factions will be used to provide outside support. When you eliminate the visible opposition, you create enemies within your own camp. This reality will soon manifest from the top tier down to the grassroots level,” Thackeray said.