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Raj Thackeray praises Fadnavis, 'alerts' Eknath Shinde

July 02, 2022 10:47 IST

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray has extended his best wishes to Bharatiya Janata Party leader Devendra Fadnavis for being sworn in as the deputy chief minister of the state, further praising him for accepting the junior slot in the government following the order of the party high command despite him being a two-time chief minister.

IMAGE: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis during a cabinet meeting, in Mumbai on Thursday. Photograph: Maharashtra DGIPR/Twitter

Notably, Fadnavis had initially denied being a part of the new government and had said that he would support the government from outside.

However, on the word of the party high command, he accepted to join the government as a deputy.

 

Thackeray denied calling it a 'demotion' of Fadnavis stating that it has been done to with an aim to meet a target.

Taking to Twitter, the MNS chief wrote, 'I won't say anything about you being appointed the deputy chief minister as a promotion or demotion, I would only say this that when a target is to be aimed, the rope of the bow is pulled back with the arrow to hit the target. And this is not considered a demotion.'

Thackeray also extended best wishes to Eknath Shinde for being sworn in as the chief minister and also cautioned him asking him to 'take measured steps'.

'My heartfelt congratulations to you on being sworn in as the chief minister of Maharashtra. It is indeed a moment of happiness for us. Providence has given you this opportunity. I hope you will prove it with your confidence. Be alert. Take measured steps,' he tweeted.

He also had taken a veiled jibe at Uddhav Thackeray during the Maharashtra crisis saying that 'when anyone misunderstands good fortune as one's personal accomplishment, therein begins the journey of one's decline'.

Though Raj Thackeray has not named Uddhav, however, the timing of the tweet gave an indication of the reference to his brother.

Source: ANI