Fadnavis jokes at Dadar book launch: Uddhav never called me after 2019, I kept waiting

A book launch in Dadar, Mumbai, drew much attention for its political quips and wordplay. Uddhav Thackeray and Devendra Fadnavis, once partners in power, appeared on the same stage, along with MNS president Raj Thackeray. Barbs were traded on subjects ranging from state politics to cartoons.

The three leaders were seen together after a long time, which came as a pleasant surprise to many. The hall repeatedly echoed with laughter at their quips. At the start of his speech, Chief Minister Fadnavis joked that everyone had gone to the left, so he had deliberately come to the right. The whole hall burst into laughter.

Fadnavis then took a jibe at Uddhav Thackeray by name. He said Ashish Shelar had just been saying that whenever Raj Thackeray calls, Devendra Fadnavis turns up. Fadnavis said: "Ashish ji, until 2019, whenever Uddhav ji called, I went. After 2019 he never called, or I would certainly have gone. I just kept waiting." The Chief Minister's remark drew hearty applause from all.

In the same speech, Fadnavis also teased Raj Thackeray. He said the advantage of delivering the last speech at the event was that Raj Thackeray would not be able to reply. In Fadnavis's words, "So whatever I say today, there will be no counterattack."

Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray also batted freely at the event. Both recalled their memories of cartoons and the field, and hit the occasional political boundary and six along the way.

In his speech, Uddhav Thackeray narrated an anecdote about British Prime Minister Lloyd George. He said one should not get irritated on seeing a cartoon, and that shutting down a newspaper or arresting someone is not right; it is essential to take it in a positive spirit. According to Thackeray, Lloyd George would laugh at himself on seeing cartoons, and he had said so himself in an interview. Uddhav Thackeray said we too should adopt this quality.