Have not abandoned Hindutva but BJP's 'mouldy' version unacceptable: Uddhav

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday, 16 April, asserted he has not turned his back on the Hindutva ideology of his party, but added that his former ally BJP’s “mouldy” Hindutva was not acceptable to him.

Speaking at a party gathering at Nashik in north Maharashtra, he also suggested that the BJP-led government in the state should turn the Raj Bhavan in Mumbai into a memorial of Chhatrapati and shift the governor to some other place.

“If the BJP has genuine respect for the 17th century warrior king, the Union government should declare a country-wide holiday on his birth anniversary,” the former Maharashtra chief minister said.

Without the undivided Shiv Sena, the BJP would not have reached a stage where it could build a said Thackeray who broke ties with the BJP in 2019.

“The BJP spread the fake narrative that the Shiv Sena (UBT) has ditched Hindutva,” he said, adding that Muslims backed his party only because as chief minister he treated everyone equally. “I parted ways with the BJP and not with Hindutva. I will not abandon Hindutva even if I die,” he declared.

The Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Hindutva meant nationalism, he said, adding that the mashal (burning torch) might be the party's election symbol but bhagwa (saffron colour) was its identity.

“I do not accept the BJP’s mouldy Hindutva,” Thackeray added, in response to the jibes of his former ally that he gave up Hindu nationalism after severing the ties with the BJP and joining hands with the Congress in Maharashtra.

On his party voting against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill (now Act), Thackeray said it opposed the legislation because there was no connection between Hindutva and waqf boards. He pointed out that the BJP recently announced an alliance with the AIADMK, which too opposed the Waqf (Amendment) Act.

The Sena (UBT) chief also alleged that Mumbai was being “looted” as all big-ticket projects were being diverted to Gujarat.