Uddhav Thackeray's dig amid PM degree row: ‘Why doesn’t Modi’s college feel same…'

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday waded into the ongoing row over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s educational qualification while attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on several issues during a rally in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar - the site of last week’s communal clashes.

Thackeray recalled the time he was felicitated by his school after becoming the state’s chief minister and took a sharp dig at Modi saying any college should be proud if one of its students becomes the prime minister of the country.

“What is the problem in showing a degree?” he said. “Why doesn’t that college want to share Modi’s degree? In fact, it should feel proud to show it and say that its student is the prime minister of India. NCP leader Jayant Patil and I studied at the same school, Balmohan Vidya Mandir in Dadar. When I became chief minister, we were both invited to the school. Why doesn’t Modi’s college feel the same pride?” the former Maharashtra CM asked.

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His comments came days after Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was fined ₹25,000 by the Gujarat high court for seeking details of PM Modi’s degree from the Gujarat University.

Addressing the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s (MVA) first rally in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar since the communal clashes in the district during Ram Navami festivities, Thackeray alleged the riots were planned ahead of upcoming elections as “certain parties” wanted to spread communal hatred to polarise the society.

He also slammed the Modi government for conspiring to topple opposition governments in different states and questioned the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena coalition for allegedly misusing Savarkar's name for their political rally. The Bharatiya Janata Party and Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Sunday held 'Savarkar Gaurav Yatra' across the state to protest against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's repeated attacks on late Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar.

“Savarkar suffered rigorous imprisonment and hardships for the Independence of the country and not to make Modi the prime minister. Will you fulfil Savarkar's dream of 'Akhand Bharat'?" he asked at the MVA rally titled ‘Vajramuth’ (iron fist) that was organised in a bid to show the strength of the unity between the Shiv Sena (UBT), Nationalist Congress Party and Congress.