The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Monday took a dig at BJP president JP Nadda after he mentioned former RSS chief Balasaheb Deoras instead of Bal Thackeray in an apparent slip of the tongue while criticising ex-Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.
Nadda addressed two rallies at Chandrapur and Aurangabad where he repeated the name of Deoras during his speeches.
"Thackeray for the greed of power backstabbed the BJP and supported those against whom former RSS Sarsanghchalak Balasaheb Deoras fought all his life," Nadda said during his speech.
He asked BJP workers whether such people should be forgiven.
The late Deoras was the third Sarsanghchalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
Reacting to Nadda's remarks, Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council Ambadas Danve, who belongs to the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction, said Nadda should first learn the name of Balasaheb Thackeray before he visits Maharashtra again.
"Naddaji, learn the name of Balasaheb Thackeray when you come back to Maharashtra next time. Today, you called Balasaheb Thackeray Balasaheb Deoras. Those who don't know the name of Balasaheb Thackeray can't take forward the legacy of his thinking," Danve tweeted.
He also tweeted a couple of video clips claiming the people had left the venue of Nadda's rally in Aurangabad before his speech.
"BJP president Nadda should see this scene. People left the ground before you (Nadda) addressed the rally. Aurangabad (Sambhajinagar) belongs to Shiv Sena of Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray. It is now underlined by the people of Aurangabad in your (Nadda's) presence," he said.
AIMIM leader and Aurangabad MP Imtiaz Jaleel also criticised Nadda's visit.
"Jagat Prakash Nadda should visit the elderly woman who gets a monthly pension of Rs 250 through your (Central) government. Nadda should also tell the mantra how she should survive?" he said in a statement.
Jaleel claimed not a single house was constructed in Aurangabad district under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
Nadda's rallies were part of the Bharatiya Janata Party's plan to win 18 "difficult" seats in Maharashtra in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, according to a party leader.