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Amit Shah targeted Uddhav Thackeray, suggesting he was banking on support from the Congress party. He also issued a stark warning against infiltrators
Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Kolkapur, Maharashtra | Image credit: X/@AmitShah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched a scathing attack on Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray and Congress, claiming they want to “survive by using infiltrators as their vote bank”.
Addressing a public gathering in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur, Shah targeted Thackeray –– who faces an internal crisis within his party after the rebellion of six Lok Sabha MPs –– suggesting he was banking on support from the Congress party.
The Home Minister intensified his warning against infiltrators, asserting only those “born in this country will live here”.
“This Congress party, in whose lap Uddhav is sitting, wants to survive by using infiltrators as a vote bank. I tell them, listen carefully, this country is not a ‘dharamshala’, only those born in this country will live here”, he said.
#WATCH | Kolhapur, Maharashtra: Union Home Minister Amit Shah says, “This Congress party, in whose lap Uddhav is sitting, wants to survive by using infiltrators as a vote bank. I tell them, listen carefully, this country is not a ‘dharamshala’, only those born in this country… pic.twitter.com/RD3a7RiyIF— ANI (@ANI) June 20, 2026
The BJP-led NDA at the Centre has continued to maintain a hardcore stance against illegal immigrants, especially in bordering states, calling the issue a threat to national security and demography.
‘There’s Only One Shiv Sena’
Amid the buzz over ‘Operation Tiger’ –– a term being used to imply a potential defection from Shiv Sena-UBT –– Shah took a jibe at the Uddhav Thackeray-led party, saying: “Earlier, we had to call the Shiv Sena Shinde faction after (Eknath) Shinde. Now, there is no faction. There is only one Shiv Sena”.
The statement comes as the Shiv Sena-UBT faces its biggest split since the 2022 rebellion –– when Eknath Shinde rebelled against the then-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray along with a majority of Shiv Sena MLAs, leading to the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
On Thursday, six rebel MPs of the Shiv Sena-UBT skipped a key parliamentary meeting called by the party high command, leading to growing chatter around ‘Operation Tiger’.
Shiv Sena-UBT MP Anil Desai told CNN-News18 that show-cause notices had been issued to the rebels over their absence from the meeting, adding an action would be taken against them if they failed to respond.
“By not following the whip and responding to show cause notices, it is consider that MP is voluntarily giving up its membership. If they don’t respond to show cause notice, we will approach court”, Desai said.
Kolhapur, India, India
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