‘Shiv Sena politically at the Left, Right and Centre’: Aaditya Thackeray

Shiv Sena is the “only party that is politically at the Left, Right and Centre” and its only ideology is “solution”, said Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday. He was speaking at a conference organised by the Forward Seamen’ Union of India (FSUI), a decades-old Left-leaning trade union, to formally announce its affiliation with the party.

The union, formed more than 60 years ago, represents around 52,000 seamen in the country working on commercial and merchant ships. It said it is joining hands with Sena, widely perceived as a right-wing party, owing to the dwindling Left faction at the Centre and difficulties in representing themselves politically.

“We are formally affiliating our union with the Shiv Sena as none of our issues are now being aggressively raised or solved by the Left faction in Parliament. The Shiv Sena has supported us whenever we sought intervention over the past couple of years. Once we formally get together, it will be able to help us more effectively,” said Akshay Birwadkar, secretary of FSUI.

Speaking at the event, Thackeray said, “Whatever is happening today is historic. Shiv Sena is there wherever there is injustice. We are the only party that is politically at the Left, Right and Centre. Our only ideology is solution, and we have been successfully raising issues of those working in the transport, aviation, telecom and railway sectors. With this affiliation, we are looking to address issues of seafarers.”

Shiv Sena MP and Union minister for heavy industries Arvind Sawant, who was also present at the event, said, “It is historic that red turns into orange today. We have always been raising issues to get justice for workers in several sectors, not going by the colour. Giving justice is our only religion.”

Milind Ranade, a Communist Party of India (CPI) leader, said, “What I know is that there was a divide between two factions of the FSUI. The Mumbai unit got affiliated with Shiv Sena, but the union has nationwide presence. Our other centres are still with the Left-leaning Centre of Indian Trade Unions. Moreover, anyone is free in a democracy to be with a particular organisation.”