Rebellion by Shiv Sena legislators betrayal of humanity: Aaditya Thackeray

Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray on Friday hit out at the party's rebel legislators, including Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, terming their rebellion as "betrayal of humanity".

He was addressing party workers at Manmad in Nashik district on the second day of his three-day 'Shiv Sanvad Yatra', which is aimed at reaching out to the party cadres.

"This is not betrayal of Shiv Sena and Uddhav Thackeray, but betrayal of humanity," he said.

"These people did not have guts to revolt in Maharashtra so they went to Surat, Guwahati and Goa. Assam was reeling under floods, but the rebel legislators were enjoying themselves," the Sena legislator from Worli constituency in Mumbai alleged.

He admitted that his father Uddhav Thackeray was unable to meet party leaders and workers during his stint as chief minister.

''But Uddhavji did not stop his work as chief minister. He kept working and never thought that if nothing is given to the MLAs or MPs, they would leave him. It was our mistake that we did not indulge in politics," he said.

The rebels are now showing their strength, but for the last two-and-half years they were silent despite being in the government. They were planning their revolt when Uddhavji underwent his surgery, Aaditya said

The new dispensation comprises of traitors, he said, calling the Shinde-led government as "illegal".

''We are not answerable to the traitors, but will surely tell people of Nashik what the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government did for the development of the district.

"Those who wanted to leave, have left. But the saffron flag will continue to fly here,'' he said.

He said the Shiv Sena never tried to finish off its political opponents, but its own people tried to do this with them.

Meanwhile, rebel Sena MLA Gulabrao Patil said, "Had Aaditya held such meetings earlier, the party would not have faced a revolt. Uddhavji was unwell, but you were young and 30 years old. Today, Uddhavji has to travel without mask and visit party's shakhas (branches). We revolted to restore the party's lost glory.