Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday said some parties are misleading with "fake Hindutva" and accused estranged ally BJP of playing "ugly" politics.
Targetting BJP at a public meeting in Mumbai, the Shiv Sena chief wondered if it was the same party which Shiv Sena considered to be a friend of 25 years. Speaking at his first public meeting after two years, Thackeray, who underwent spinal surgery last November, sounded the bugle for upcoming civic polls, including for Mumbai, and said attempts to break Mumbai from Maharashtra will never be allowed to succeed.
Thackeray said the BJP had given loudspeakers to its A, B, and C teams and asked them to visit Aurangzeb's tomb and recite Hanuman Chalisa. "While BJP will watch the tamasha and address press conferences," he charged. He also said that Shiv Sena's mouthpiece 'Saamana' never insulted Prime Minister Narendra Modi but highlighted issues of state and national importance.
Meanwhile, in a veiled swipe at MNS chief Raj Thackeray over Hindutva, Uddhav drew parallels between his estranged cousin and the lead character from the Bollywood film "Lage Raho Munna Bhai", saying a real-life Munnabhai here thinks of himself as Bal Thackeray and wears a shawl. Addressing a public rally at the BKC ground in Mumbai, Uddhav, who heads Shiv Sena, referred to actor Sanjay Dutt's character in "Lage Raho Munna Bhai" who starts to see the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi.
"The Munnabhai thinks he is interacting with Mahatma Gandhi but the end of the movie reveals that it is is a case of chemical 'locha' (mess)...there are several Munnabhais who are roaming around. "We have a similar case. A Munnabhai here thinks of himself as Balasaheb (Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray) and wears a shawl,'' Uddhav said without taking the name of Raj Thackeray.
Recently, Raj Thackeray had don a saffron shawl while performing 'maha aarti' of Lord Hanuman on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti. MNS activists started describing Raj Thackeray as "Hindujannayak" (leader of Hindu people) since he demanded the removal of loudspeakers from mosques and asked the party cadres to play Hanuman Chalisa at a louder volume. He had also batted for a uniform civil code and law to check population growth.
The late Bal Thackeray is often hailed as "Hinduhridaysamrat" (emperor of Hindu hearts). Slamming BJP, the chief minister said two crore people had lost jobs from 2017 to 2022. "All political parties should consider this fact," he added.
Also read: Play Hanuman Chalisa if you hear loudspeakers 'blaring azaan': Raj Thackeray
