MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Rajabhau Waze, one of the three MPs who did not rebel, has been invited by party chief Uddhav Thackeray to attend the party’s 60th anniversary celebration in Mumbai on Friday evening. Uddhav personally called Waze and extended the invitation. Waze received a rousing welcome from hundreds of supporters when he arrived in Nashik by train from Delhi on Friday morning.
Waze had attended the Sena (UBT) parliamentary party meeting in Delhi on Thursday along with the other two Lok Sabha MPs, Arvind Sawant and Anil Desai. He said he was also offered to switch sides but turned them down.
Rebel MPs to Skip Shinde's Event
Meanwhile, the six rebel Sena (UBT) MPs will not attend the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena’s anniversary event at Goregaon’s Nesco centre, reportedly to avoid any anti-defection law complications by being present at a rival party’s formal programme.
Fadnavis Congratulates Shinde
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis congratulated Shinde on the Sena’s anniversary. “Heartfelt greetings to Maharashtra DCM Eknathji Shinde and all Shiv Sainiks on Shiv Sena Anniversary,” Fadnavis said in a post on X.
Waze's Statement on Loyalty
“I won the elections because of voters, and I am loyal to the ideology that helped me win. I took the right decision, and the love people are showering on me shows that it was the right decision. This feels like my second victory. This situation of a split should not have happened, but we have to face it now. We need to strengthen the party again,” Waze said.
Allegations of 'Operation Tiger'
Sena (UBT) functionaries claimed that Waze too had received an offer to switch sides and said he was the first to alert Uddhav Thackeray and senior NCP (SP) leaders about “Operation Tiger”.
“I will be going to Mumbai for the party’s anniversary celebration. I wanted to meet my workers and thank them for standing with me in this hour of crisis,” Waze said.
Rebel MP's Social Media Post
Rebel Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Jadhav from Parbhani shared a social media post in which the Sena (UBT)’s Mashaal (flaming torch) symbol was missing. The post also did not carry a picture of Uddhav Thackeray and featured only Balasaheb Thackeray’s image. It carried the message: “Akhand Shiv Sena, Atal Hindutva (United Shiv Sena and unstoppable Hindutva)… 60 years of commitment to Hindutva.”
Raut's Strong Reaction
Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, reacting to the six MPs skipping the parliamentary party meeting, said: “If their direction is diverging, the Lok Sabha Speaker will decide. So far, these people haven’t come forward; I don’t know where they have hidden. They are such cowards who considered themselves Shiv Sainiks — Shiv Sainiks are not so cowardly. They have gone and hidden in Jaipur. They have violated the party’s orders; now there will be legal action against them, and all the MPs have been disqualified. No one can save them.”
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