Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said the BJP doesnโt hold โpatentโ on Hindutva and claimed that the late Sena chief Bal Thackeray had showed BJP that the combination of โsaffron and Hindutvaโ will help in achieving power in Centre.
Uddhav Thackeray also said Sena has always been committed to the โbhagvaโ (saffron) and Hindutva โunlike BJP which had different names like Bharatiya Jan Sangh and Jan Sangh which propagated different ideologies.โ
Joining virtually the campaign for Maha Vikas Aghadiโs (MVA) candidate Jayashree Jadhav, who belongs to Congress, for the April 12 bypoll from the Kolhapur North seat, Mr Thackeray also blamed BJP for the defeat of the Shiv Sena nominee from the constituency in the 2019 polls despite the alliance between the two parties at that time.
He wondered if BJP had had a hidden alliance with Congress in this constituency in the 2019 polls. โThe BJP doesnโt have the patent for Hindutva. I wonder had Lord Ram not been born what issue the BJP would have raised in politics. Since BJP is bereft of issues it is talking about religion and (spreading) hatred,โ Mr Thackeray said.
Mr Thackeray said it was his father Bal Thackeray who had shown them (BJP) that saffron and Hindutva will lead them on the road to Delhi.
Speaking on the Kolhapur North bypoll, Mr Thackeray said that votes of Congress increased in the 2019 polls ((in Kolhapur North) compared to the 2014 elections which resulted in the defeat of Shiv Senaโs nominee despite the alliance with the BJP.
โWhere did the BJPโs votes go in 2019? Did you (BJP) have a hidden alliance with Congress at that time?โ Mr Thackeray asked.
Mr Thackeray also said that if the BJP claims to respect Bal Thackeray then why is that party opposing the proposal to name the upcoming Navi Mumbai international airport after the late Sena founder.
โWhy has the BJP gone back on its word and commitment given by (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah in Balasahebโs room which I consider a temple,โ Mr Thackeray asked, in an apparent reference to his claim that BJP had promised the Chief Ministerโs post to Sena in the 2019 polls.
The issue of sharing the chief ministerโs post after the state elections in 2019 led to the break up between the Sena and the BJP.
The BJP and Amit Shah had rejected Mr Thackerayโs claims regarding the purported promise on the Chief Ministerโs post.
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.