Mumbai (Maharashtra), July 16: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Wednesday sharply criticized sections of the media for allegedly misquoting him during an informal interaction regarding a possible alliance with Shiv Sena (UBT) ahead of the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.
Taking to Facebook, Thackeray questioned the ethics of modern journalism, stating, “What kind of new journalism is this? Informal conversations are meant to remain informal. And even if something from that is published, how can one put words into someone’s mouth that were never spoken?”
Thackeray emphasized that he would make any official political statements only via formal press conferences, not offhand remarks. He also accused some journalists of fabricating stories, possibly under external influence, adding, “Do you expect us to keep speaking just because you need daily headlines or someone else needs a news item?”
The controversy arose after several media outlets reported that Thackeray hinted at a possible alliance with Shiv Sena (UBT) during an informal chat in Igatpuri. Refuting this, Thackeray explained:
“I was asked about the joint rally on July 5. I said it wasn’t a political gathering, but a celebration of Marathi pride. When asked about an alliance, I replied, ‘Should I now discuss alliance matters with you?’ Yet, some newspapers ran headlines claiming I said, ‘A decision on the alliance will be taken based on the situation before the municipal elections.’ That’s completely false.”
Thackeray, who has a background in journalism as a cartoonist and a long-standing association with publications like Marmik and Saamana, warned against the blurring of lines between social media chaos and mainstream journalism.
“I understand what credible journalism looks like. I humbly request a few journalists and their editors not to indulge in such practices,” he said.
The political context gained further momentum after Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut recently wrote in Saamana that Raj and Uddhav Thackeray should consider a political alliance, following their joint rally on the Marathi language issue. Raut termed their unity “necessary” to counter the BJP.