PUNE:There is only one Shiv Sena at present, which is headed by Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, said Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday, a day after the 60th foundation day of Shiv Sena was celebrated in Mumbai by both factions of the party.Union home minister Amit Shah greeted during a programme at the Shri Mahalakshmi (Ambabai) Temple premises, in Kolhapur, Maharashtra. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy CM Eknath Shinde are also seen. There is only one Shiv Sena at present, which is headed by Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, said Shah. (PTI)“Earlier, we used to describe Eknath Shinde as the chief of the Shinde faction of Shiv Sena. But now there is only one Shiv Sena, which is headed by Shinde. There is no existence of any other faction of that party,” Shah said while addressing a rally in Kolhapur.Shah was in Kolhapur to perform the bhoomi pujan of projects related to the conservation of the Mahalaxmi temple and development of amenities for devotees, which involves an investment of over ₹1,500 crore. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Shinde and other NDA leaders were present at the event.Shah’s remarks are significant amid growing tensions within the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT). Six Lok Sabha MPs from the party have rebelled against Thackeray and written to the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking recognition as a separate group. Speculation is rife that the MPs may formally join the Shinde-led Shiv Sena soon.Targeting Thackeray, Shah said the Sena (UBT) chief was “sitting on the lap” of the Congress.“Illegal migrants from neighbouring countries are vote banks of both parties. But I want to clarify that our government will identify and deport all illegal migrants from across the country. Our country cannot be treated as a dharmshala – India belongs to those born in the country,” Shah said, adding that steps would be taken to prevent infiltration through border areas of West Bengal.Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had become the longest-serving prime minister of the country and claimed that the Centre had taken unprecedented steps under his leadership in sectors including national security. “In the last 12 years, India has recorded rapid development, cultural renaissance and seen a rise in its prestige and respect on the global stage,” he said.Shah also criticised the previous Congress-led UPA government, alleging that it had failed to take significant steps to improve the lot of farmers. “When Congress was in power for 10 years, it waived farmers’ loans worth only ₹60,000 crore. But in the last 12 years after Modi became the prime minister, the Centre has provided over ₹4.28 lakh crore to farmers under the PM-Kisan scheme, irrespective of whether they have taken loans or not,” he said.Shah further said the NDA government had waived income tax liabilities of ₹46,000 crore of cooperative sugar mills, a demand raised by sugarcane farmers since 2016.