Fadnavis, Uddhav and Raj Thackeray share Dadar stage at book launch; CM says no cause for surprise

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray appeared together on one stage in Mumbai on Thursday evening, at the release of a book on cartoonists. Fadnavis told the audience that such togetherness is part of the state's political culture and nobody needed to be startled by it.

The programme was held at the Swatantryaveer Savarkar Sabhagriha in Dadar. The book, by editor Prashant Kulkarni, is titled "Maharashtrachi Hasyarekha" and brings together the work and profiles of 75 cartoonists. Fadnavis thanked Kulkarni and Granthali for compiling it, and said the collection is valuable because old cartoons have been kept along with the historical context in which they were drawn.

The picture of the three leaders drew attention well beyond Maharashtra. Photographs travelled quickly through the national media and social media. It is the first time the three have shared a platform since the two Thackeray brothers reconciled. The appearance came on a day when the Shinde Sena and the BJP had been trading charges over the defeat in the Legislative Council election. The leaders also held talks behind closed doors before the event, which fed the speculation.

The two Thackerays have recently joined hands on several issues and criticised the Fadnavis government over them. These include the agitation against the Chief Election Commissioner, support for MPSC students, the agitation against Dharmendra Pradhan and the felling of trees in Karjat.

Fadnavis addressed the buzz head-on. "I do not know why some people got a stomach ache on seeing the three of us together. But we are not surprised at coming on one stage. It is Maharashtra's tradition. Leaders of different parties and different ideologies keep coming on one stage. We can joke together. We can have tea together," he said.

He also reached back to the past. The BJP and the undivided Shiv Sena were long-standing allies, but they parted ways after the 2019 Assembly election over the sharing of the chief minister's post and became rivals. Turning to Uddhav Thackeray, Fadnavis said, "Until 2019, whenever Uddhavji called me, I went. After 2019, he did not phone. I was waiting."

Raj Thackeray also explained why the three had come together. "Some people must be wondering how the three of us came onto one stage. But there are some platforms where everyone comes together. People set politics aside and come together. At such events the talk is of art and culture rather than politics. It is natural for people of different ideologies to come together on such a platform," he said.

Fadnavis announced that there is a proposal for a dedicated gallery for cartoonists in Mumbai. "I will certainly take the initiative for this, and I will also seek the cooperation of Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray to set up a gallery where cartoonists' works can be displayed," he said.

Calling cartooning an extraordinary art, the Chief Minister said a single drawing can carry a message as effectively as an editorial. "An editorial explains a matter in detail, but a cartoon can deliver the same message just as effectively. Politicians are often the subjects of cartoons. But if a cartoon is drawn of you, do not feel bad about it. Enjoy it," he said. He added that Marathi cartoonists have steadily recorded major developments, captured the political mood and offered a way to voice dissent and criticism.

In a light-hearted aside about Raj Thackeray's own cartooning, Fadnavis recalled telling him that if he ever drew a cartoon of him, he should make the nose big.