'I was cheated': Eknath Shinde takes veiled dig at 'Fukat Baburao' Uddhav Thackeray

KOLHAPUR: During a rally in Sangola, deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde criticized Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray, implying that the latter had deceived people with a facade of innocence.
Shinde suggested that people had been misled for years by Thackeray's seemingly innocent demeanor. While not explicitly naming Thackeray, Shinde employed the terms "Fukat Baburao" and "Chehra Bhola Bhangadi Sola" to characterize him.
"Fukat Baburao" loosely translates to someone who receives everything effortlessly, while "Chehra Bhola Bhangadi Sola" describes someone who causes trouble while projecting an innocent image.
Shinde's comments came during the inauguration of a Babasaheb Ambedkar statue and memorial, funded with Rs2 crore sanctioned during his tenure as the chief minister. "There was one who used to play FB live (Facebook live), but when I became the CM, I went from door-to-door, from field-to-field. He should be called "Fukat Baburao", and I am your "Favourite Brother". I got cheated by believing that innocent face," the deputy CM said.
"When I was the CM, I used to call himself a common man. Now I call myself a deputy CM dedicated to common man. Positions go up and down, power comes and goes, but beyond any position I feel that "Ladka Bhau" position given to me by my crores of Ladki Bahins is above everything," he added.
Shinde further stated that despite opposition claims, schemes like "Ladki Bahin" and free electricity to agriculture connections will never be stopped.
"Don't believe the opposition. We will not let the Ladki Bahin scheme stop. Maharashtra is a progressive state and an economic powerhouse. We also have the support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We will definitely have to plan our expenditure carefully, but we will not let the scheme halt in any way," Shinde said.