Uddhav Thackeray Defends Shiv Sena's Hindutva Stance

Mumbai: Facing allegations of appeasing Muslims, the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday asserted that he has not abandoned the Hindutva. The former Maharashtra CM also ruled out the possibility of joining hands with the BJP again.

Addressing the 58th foundation day event of Shiv Sena, Thackeray said that his party has not left Hinduism. “We are being accused that Hindu votes have deserted the Shiv Sena and it is getting only Muslim votes. But Shiv Sena has not abandoned its Hindutva.”

In the recently held Lok sabha polls, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has reportedly received a big support from the Muslim community, which played a major role in the wins of Uddhav Thackeray’s party.

The Sena chief acknowledged that Muslims supported his party (in the recently held Lok Sabha polls). “The Muslim community is with us because (they know) if we attack, we will attack from the front and not from the back,” he said.

Thackeray accused the BJP of abandoning Hindutva for power while dubbing the saffron party’s Hindutva as ‘regressive.’

“Why is the BJP sitting with Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar today? Haven’t these leaders promised the Muslim community (reservation) in their states? But the BJP joined hands with them just for the sake of power,” he added.

Thackeray also made it clear that he will ‘never’ go with those who tried to finish off Shiv Sena. “We will never go with those who tried to finish off the Shiv Sena. The Narendra Modi-led govt will collapse, we will set up an INDIA bloc-led govt (at the Centre),” he said.

The two warring factions of the Shiv Sena celebrated the 58th foundation day of the party separately in Mumbai.

In his party’s function, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde hit out at Thackeray, saying the latter has no right to seek votes in the name of Bal Thackeray as the Shiv Sena UBT won with the support of Congress’ votes.

“Where has your Hindutva gone, you have no right to seek votes in Balasaheb Thackeray’s name,” Shinde said.

“Shiv Sena UBT has won only on Congress’ vote bank. They are not following the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray. You discarded Balasaheb Thackeray’s ideology for vote bank politics,” the chief minister added.

“They (Shiv Sena UBT) are now with Congress, but we do not like that and this is why we separated from them and formed real Shiv Sena. The people believe in us because we are the real Shiv Sena,” he added.