Priyanka Chaturvedi’s "Mera Baap Gaddar Hai" directed at Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his son triggered a massive row.
Earlier this week, Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi’s recent remark, “Mera Baap Gaddar Hai,” directed at Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his son triggered a massive row. But not one to be silenced, Chaturvedi, to prove her point, today took to X (formerly Twitter) and shared a newspaper clipping featuring Shiv Sena”s Ravindra Waikar, “exposing the gaddars” as he was torn between “join or jail”.
Chaturvedi wrote on X, “Join or jail. The Mumbai North West District candidate of the Mahajhoothi alliance, Ravindra Waikar, exposes the gaddars. Hence voters, vote wisely. There are those like Waikar ji, who compromised for fear of ED, and then there is Shiv Sena (UBT)’s candidate Amol Gajanan Kirtikar, who stands strong for his belief and his party irrespective of ED harassment.”
While campaigning for Shiv Sena (UBT) nominee Sanjay D. Patil in Ghatkopar on Wednesday, Chaturvedi launched a scathing attack on CM Shinde and his son Shrikant Shinde, who is eyeing a third consecutive term in the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat.
“Who are you Eknath Shinde? What are you? You are nothing but a ‘gaddar’ (traitor),” Chaturvedi said, referring to the split in the Shiv Sena.
She continued, “Whatever you do, you cannot escape the ‘gaddar’ taint… It will haunt even your family, as in the film ‘Deewar’ (1975).”
Using a cinematic reference from the film “Deewar” (1975), Amitabh Bachchan tells his brother Shashi Kapoor in the film how some goons had tattooed “Mera Baap Chor Hai” on his arm.
“In the same manner, the CM’s son, Shrikant Shinde, will always carry the burden. ‘Mera Baap Gaddar Hain’ is written on his forehead and he cannot escape the consequences,” Chaturvedi said amid thunderous applause.
In June 2022, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by then CM Uddhav Thackeray collapsed after Eknath Shinde split the party and walked away with MLAs supporting him to take the CM”s seat with BJP’s support.
Chaturvedi described the elections as a battle between the people and the MahaJhoothi alliance, and added that the MVA is winning across Maharashtra.
In response, the MahaYuti alliance, particularly Shiv Sena”s deputy leader Sanjay Nirupam, condemned Chaturvedi”s statement. Nirupam accused Uddhav Thackeray of betrayal for aligning with Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in 2019, contradicting the principles of Balasaheb Thackeray.
“If she truly believes her statement, then Aditya Thackeray’s forehead should say ‘Mera Baap Maha-Gaddar Hai’. His father had committed a treachery of Balasaheb Thackeray’s ideals by joining hands with the Congress, which the former opposed all his life,” Nirupam said.
In her tweet today, Chaturvedi brought attention to Waikar”s decision to compromise due to fear of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Shinde Sena candidate Ravindra Waikar, contesting from the Mumbai North-West Lok Sabha constituency, caused massive embarrassment to his party by admitting that he defected from Shiv Sena (UBT) to evade action by the ED. The ED had initiated a PMLA case against him regarding the construction of a five-star hotel on a civic plot in Jogeshwari.
Known for his staunch loyalty to Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, Waikar confessed in a Marathi daily interview that he had no choice but to join the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde. Despite Uddhav Thackeray”s attempts to dissuade him, Waikar feared the consequences of the ED”s investigation and opted to align with Shinde, who assured him of support.
In an apparent damage control, Waikar claimed that his words had been twisted. He said that he had asked Uddhav Thackeray to help him in his ED troubles, but when he expressed helplessness, he turned to Shinde, who promised to help.
Waikar, a three-time MLA from Jogeshwari East, joined CM Eknath Shinde in March and was named a candidate. “It was either meet the fate of others like Suraj Chavan, UBT Sena functionary, who was arrested in Khichdi scam, and land up in jail or put forward my side to another party,” Waikar said.
Shiv Sena (UBT)”s Amol Gajanan Kirtikar, contesting from the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency, also faced summons from the ED shortly after filing his nomination.
