Aaditya Thackeray calls Shinde govt illegal; Says it won't last

Mumbai: Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray said the Eknath Shinde-led government in Maharashtra is "illegal" and would not last long. He added that he is not angry at the rebel MLAs but sad about the toppling of the government.

He was speaking to party workers in Mahim in Central Mumbai.

"If they were real Sena workers of Balasaheb Thackeray, they would have been on the ground helping the Assam administration tackle floods instead of enjoying the mountains and greenery from their hotel rooms," he criticised the rebel camp's behaviour when Assam was struggling with a flood.

They revolted against Sena president Uddhav Thackeray and demanded that the alliance with Congress be broken and join hands with BJP to form the government. After former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray stepped down and Shinde took his place, Sena formed the Maharashtra government with BJP.

Aaditya Thackeray further said that rebel MLAs do not like being called traitors but they danced in a Goa bar when Uddhav Thackeray resigned as chief minister. "These rebels will always remain traitors."

He also alleged that Shinde and his associates interrupted Maharashtra's progress that was happening under the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) rule. "They betrayed a good man like Uddhav Thackeray who handled the coronavirus pandemic well and maintained peace and harmony in the state," he added.

The Maharashtra government is still waiting for cabinet expansion. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday said the functioning of the state government has not been affected in any way due to the delay. He added that he and the deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis are making decisions.

Shinde and Fadnavis have been waiting for the decision of the apex court before adding new members to the council of ministers. The Supreme Court may listen to the petitions related to the Maharashtra government formation on Monday.