‘Fake Hindutva party misleading nation’
Our Hindutva is superior to that of BJP, says Maharashtra chief minister
Holding a mega rally in Mumbai on Saturday, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray declared that his party’s Hidutva is superior to that of the BJP. Countering the BJP’s allegation that Uddhav has compromised on Hindutva for forming a government in Maharashtra with the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party, the Shiv Sena chief claimed that his party’s Hindutva was based on nationalism and not communalism.
Claiming that the Shiv Sena was committed to taking forward Balasaheb Thackeray’s “nationalist” Hindutva, Mr Thackeray said, “Some fake Hindutvawadis are misleading our nation. Balasaheb Thackeray taught us that we don’t need Hindus who ring bells in temples. We want Hindus who can thrash terrorists... We have saffron blood in our veins. Don’t try to challenge us”, Mr Thackeray said.
The Shiv Sena chief also accused the BJP of trying to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra. Referring to BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis’s statement in his May 1 rally that his party will soon “free” Mumbai after the forthcoming municipal election, Mr Thackeray claimed that the BJP wants to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra. “Mr Fadnavis made a mistake and confessed that he would “free” Mumbai. We will break those who try to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra. There is a conspiracy to break Mumbai away, we will not let it happen,” he said.
Mr Thackeray also took a dig at the RSS saying it never participated in the freedom fight against the British rulers.
Questioning the BJP as to where its Hindutva was, the Maharashtra CM countered the Narendra Modiled party’s claims that the “current Shiv Sena was not that of Bal Thackeray” by asking if the current BJP followed Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s ideologies.
Referring to inflation, the internal conflicts and attacks on Kashmiri Pandits, Mr Thackeray said, “Why don’t you (BJP) speak on these issues? This is not our Hindutva. You are just trying to distract the public and the country.”