Raj Thackeray, Devendra Fadnavis, and Uddhav Thackeray gathered in Mumbai for a book launch, highlighting Maharashtra’s culture of setting aside political differences to celebrate the history of political cartoons.
Political Leaders Unite for Book Launch
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 30 (ANI): MNS chief Raj Thackeray said that certain platforms transcend politics and bring leaders together to discuss art and culture, as he shared the stage with Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, calling it the “culture of Maharashtra”. The three leaders shared the same stage on Thursday while attending the unveiling of the book ‘Maharashtra Chya Hasya Resha’, which explored the history of Marathi political cartoons.
During the event, MNS chief Raj Thackeray responded wittily to Culture Minister Ashish Shelar’s praise of Devendra Fadnavis for accepting Raj Thackeray’s invitation, saying the BJP should keep the Chief Minister with them until 2029. “Ashish Shelar said that CM Fadnavis came here to this program after I invited him. To Ashish Shelar I would like to say – keep the CM with you until 2029…You must be thinking how come all three leaders are sharing the stage. There are stages which are beyond politics and where we gather together. On such stages, we speak beyond politics – about art and culture…It is breaking new that those who speak against each are sharing the same stage. But there are stages where we need to come together setting aside our political differences…This is the culture of Maharashtra,” said Thackeray.
Dialogue and Humor Among Leaders
Reacting to the remarks, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis humorously recalled that whenever Raj Thackeray extends an invitation, he attends the event. “Everyone says that whenever Raj Thackeray calls me up to extend an invitation, I come. Until 2019, I used to come whenever Uddhav Thackeray called me up. After 2019, Uddhav Thackeray never called me up. I kept waiting for him to call,” said Fadnavis.
Reflections on Political Cartoons
Meanwhile, appreciating the tradition of political cartoons, Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray recalled an anecdote of former United Kingdom Prime Minister David Lloyd George and Winston Churchill. “David Lloyd George was the Prime Minister of Britain. Someone asked him how do you handle the stress of being the PM. He said that he read Daily Express every morning, he saw his cartoons in it. He said that though he didn’t like it, he had a good laugh over it. Several cartoons of Winston Churchill were made, and Churchill put them up in his home…” said Thackeray.
The presence of the three leaders together was significant in itself, but two moments during the event immediately caught the attention of Maharashtra’s political circles, particularly coming soon after the results of the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections in five constituencies. The first interesting moment took place away from the main stage. Fadnavis, Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray were seen together in a room on the sidelines of the event, apparently engaged in a discussion. While there was no official word on what was discussed, the sight of the three leaders together generated considerable curiosity and speculation. (ANI)
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