Uddhav Thackeray takes a dig at PM Modi's US visit, says 'instead of resolving crisis...'

Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his scheduled visit to the US, and asked why he was going abroad instead of visiting Manipur to resolve the crisis in the violence-hit north-eastern state.

Addressing a state-level convention of his party, the first since the rebellion split Shiv Sena last year, he also dared the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the country.

"One part of our country is in the grip of violence and Modi hasn't gone there or taken steps to resolve the crisis but is going to America," Thackeray said. The PM will be going on a state visit to the US and Egypt from June 20 to 25.

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Thackeray alleged that there have been claims that PM Modi stopped the Russia-Ukraine war. "So Modi should stop the violence in Manipur and restore peace and then we will believe these claims," he added.

More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki community people in Manipur that broke out more than a month ago.

The former CM said he will go to Patna on June 23 for the meeting of non-BJP parties. "There is no opposition parties that are meeting there, but the parties that are nationalists, who love their country and want to protect its independence and democracy," he said.

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He said Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had visited him at 'Matoshree' (Thackeray's personal residence) and invited him for the meeting.

"Earlier, only BJP leaders used to visit 'Matoshree', but now all parties, except BJP, have realised the importance of Shiv Sena. All parties who love the country should come together to stop the BJP," he said.

The Shiv Sena split in June last year after Eknath Shinde and 39 other party MLAs rebelled against then Uddhav Thackeray and toppled the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition government of the Sena, NCP, and Congress.

Shinde later became chief minister with the BJP's support and the Election Commission of India subsequently granted his faction the original party name and 'bow and arrow' symbol, while the Thackeray group was named Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray).