In a blistering attack on the BJP-led MahaYuti government in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) has accused the ruling alliance of turning a blind eye to the rapidly growing drug crisis in the state while remaining obsessed with what it called a politics of “lies and deception.”
In a strongly worded editorial published in its party mouthpiece Saamana, the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction alleged that Maharashtra, particularly Mumbai, has become the hub of one of the country’s largest narcotics networks, while the state government has remained “silent” despite repeated incidents.
The editorial cited recent drug-related seizures and overdose deaths as evidence of what it described as a worsening law-and-order breakdown. Referring to the seizure of 5,000 ecstasy pills worth ₹6 crore in Titwala, the party questioned how such large-scale drug activity could continue unchecked. It also highlighted the deaths of two youths due to alleged overdose at an event in Goregaon, claiming that narcotics were being consumed openly even at public gatherings.
The Thackeray camp further alleged that a drug manufacturing racket uncovered near Satara was deliberately suppressed after alleged links to political figures emerged. The editorial accused Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of burying the matter once the alleged connections came to light, escalating its criticism of the state leadership.
Expanding its attack beyond the drug issue, the editorial alleged that women in Maharashtra are facing exploitation at the hands of people aligned with BJP ideology, calling the situation a serious blot on the state’s image and accusing the government of failing to protect women.
The Saamana piece then turned its attention to the recent controversy over the Delimitation Bill, attacking the BJP for what it termed a “dramatic reaction” to the bill’s defeat in Parliament. The editorial argued that the BJP’s claim that “women’s empowerment had been attacked” was misleading, pointing out that the Women’s Reservation Bill had already been passed in 2023 with overwhelming support and had received presidential assent.
According to the Uddhav Sena, the delimitation proposal was not about women’s empowerment but was instead an attempt to redraw parliamentary representation in a way that would benefit northern states and politically favour the BJP, thereby weakening the influence of southern states.
In one of its sharpest remarks, the editorial said the BJP was either intoxicated by its own propaganda or unable to accept political reality, sarcastically calling the ruling party “Udta BJP”, a phrase intended to suggest that the party was “flying high” on its own false narratives.
“The BJP is lying from top to bottom,” the editorial declared, adding that the party lacked the courage to face the truth and was instead relying on “deceit” to shape public perception.
The editorial ended with a stinging jibe, suggesting that the BJP’s political thinking was still in an immature state and warning that the present dispute was only the beginning of a much larger internal political crisis.
