Last Updated:April 17, 2025, 17:50 IST

In a nearly 13-minute speech at an event in Nashik, a booming voice resembling that of Bal Thackeray, began speaking with his trademark opening line.

Shiv Sena patron Balasaheb Thackeray. (File)

The Shiv Sena (UBT) in an event used Artificial Intelligence (AI) to recreate a voice resembling that of Shiv Sena (undivided) founder Bal Thackeray to trade barbs at its old ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) chief Eknath Shinde. The BJP widely criticised the move and called it a “childish stunt” and “disgrace”.

In a nearly 13-minute speech at an event in Nashik, a booming voice resembling that of Bal Thackeray, began speaking with his trademark opening line “Jamlelya majhya tamam Hindu bandhavanu, baghinino ani matano” (greetings to my Hindu brothers, sisters and mothers who have gathered here).

What Was In The Speech?

The AI voice of Bal Thackeray said that the party had supported the BJP in Maharashtra and accused it of ending the 25-year-old ties.

“Nobody in Maharashtra or the country knew the BJP. So we gave them a shoulder. A shoulder is a support. We have nurtured them in Maharashtra. But now the time has come to give them a shoulder to cry on. Of course, we had this relationship with them for 25 years. Hindutva grew in Maharashtra only because of the Shiv Sena. Then, who broke the relationship?” the AI voice was heard as saying as quoted by the media reports.

Trading barbs at Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his supporters, Bal Thackeray’s AI version called them traitors and slammed the BJP over the last year’s Maharashtra assembly polls victory.

“What did those BJP and fake Shiv Sena people do to get such a large number of votes? What kind of freedom is this if such decisions are being forcibly imposed in a democracy? This is my Shivaji’s Maharashtra. I will not stab anyone in the back. But now only wounds and punches are left on the back of Maharashtra. Even if a hundred of your fathers come down, you will not be able to end the existence of Shiv Sena,” it added.

“In history, you will be remembered as traitors of Maharashtra. No matter how many times you take a dip in the Ganga, this stain of sin and betrayal will not wash away. These traitors stabbed me in the back when I was alive,” the AI version added.

BJP Slams ‘Childish Stunt’

Maharashtra BJP chief and state minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule condemned the act and called the AI play by Shiv Sena (UBT) a “disgrace”.

“Disgrace! When no one is listening to their voice, only a group like UBT could resort to the childish act of making their points heard in the voice of revered Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray,” he said in a post on X.

Bawankule also listed a series of actions by Sena (UBT) that, in his opinion, contraicted Bal Thackeray’s ideology.

“I am certain that today, those who called Balasaheb ‘Janab’ named gardens after Tipu Sultan, embraced Rahul Gandhi who insults Veer V D Savarkar, voted against the Waqf board, sat beside those who opposed Ram Mandir, supported Article 370 sympathisers, extorted money through the likes of Waze, made deals even in dead body bags, committed scams during COVID, and filled their coffers by looting Marathi households – Balasaheb would have kicked them out,” he added.

The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance had scored a massive and astonishing victory over Maha Vikas Aghadi in the last year’s Maharashtra Assembly elections. BJP, Shinde’s Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP – collectively won 230 of 288 seats. Sena (UBT), the Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) – which are MVA constituents – won 46 of 288 seats.