Dogs only bark, but tigers hunt: Eknath Shinde's warning to Uddhav Sena camp

Eknath Shinde hit back at political opponents while addressing Shiv Sena workers on Friday. He said the party remains rooted among common people and is growing stronger under his leadership.

In Short

• He addressed party workers on Friday during a political outreach event
• He described the organisation as rooted deeply among ordinary people
• Shinde dismissed criticism from opponents and rejected their recent attacks

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde on Friday launched a sharp attack on his political opponents while asserting that the party founded by Balasaheb Thackeray continues to grow stronger under his leadership.

Addressing party workers, Shinde said Shiv Sena remains a force rooted in the common people and dismissed criticism from rivals. Referring to recent attacks against him, he said, "Some people have been barking for the last few days. They bark in groups, but a tiger walks alone. This is Shiv Sena."

Claiming that the party's journey was far from over, Shinde said the recent developments were only a "trailer" and that the full picture was yet to unfold. He stressed that the Shiv Sena belongs to every worker and ordinary citizen rather than a select group of leaders.

The Shiv Sena leader said he had fulfilled the dream of party founder Balasaheb Thackeray and had worked to expand the organisation across Maharashtra. According to him, the party has reached villages and households across the state and has emerged as the second-largest force in several recent elections.

"I had no Godfather, just a power called Balasaheb was behind me. This power made me Chief Minister from the post of mere shakha pramukh," he mentioned.

'BALASAHEB WOULD'VE APPRECIATED MODI'S EFFORTS'

Shinde also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged party workers to applaud the Prime Minister's leadership. He said Balasaheb Thackeray would have appreciated Modi's efforts for the country and noted that the Shiv Sena had supported a congratulatory resolution for the Prime Minister at a recent NDA meeting.

Targeting the opposition, Shinde accused some former Shiv Sena leaders of abandoning Balasaheb Thackeray's ideology and aligning themselves with parties they had once criticised. He alleged that the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party had weakened Shiv Sena in the past and claimed that some of his rivals were now dependent on those parties for political survival.

Reiterating the strength of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, Shinde dismissed speculation about differences between him and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. He said the alliance partners remained united and committed to governing Maharashtra together.

He maintained that the true strength of Shiv Sena lies not in elected positions but in its dedicated cadre of Shiv Sainiks.

- Ends