MUMBAI: Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said that BJP has not taken the Hindutva patent, and Shiv Sena is a real Hindutva party that always comes forward to protect a Hindu during a crisis.
Uddhav Thackeray was virtually campaigning for the Congress party candidate Jayshree Jadhav for the Kolhapur-North by-election.
He said that BJP does not mean Hindutva. Shiv Sena broke away from BJP, not from the Hindutva ideology.
“BJP’s Hindutva is power-hungry Hindutva. They can make an alliance with any party for power. In Jammu and Kashmir, they shared power with Mufti Mohammed Sayeed who supported the 'terrorist.' BJP can go to any extent to get power. Therefore, people should not believe in their Hindutva. Balasaheb Thackeray was the Hindu Hruday Samrat and he will remain Hindu Hruday Samrat. Nowadays, many people tried to copy him, but they will not succeed,” Thackeray noted.
He further appealed to the Shiv Sena workers and leaders to cast their vote for Congress candidates in by-elections. He said that once Shiv Sena gives its word, it never changes like BJP.
“BJP had given equal power-sharing promise but they changed the word at last moment. Therefore, we have to form the government with Congress and the NCP for the larger interest of Maharashtra. We have not broken the alliance with BJP, but BJP has changed its word. If Amit Shah adores Balasaheb Thackeray, then why he could not fulfill the word of equal power-sharing given in the meeting?” the Shiv Sena president asked.
Thackeray also criticised the central government for gas and fuel price rises. He said that the central government pat their backs and blow the trumpets saying they give free rations to people. “Let me tell you, the free ration is not given from the BJP’s private bank account. It is the public and honest taxpayer’s money. The ration is given but what about the gas to cook the food? People cannot afford to fill the cylinders to refill. The fuel prices are also going up every day,” the Maharashtra chief minister said.
The central government asks the state government to reduce fuel prices, but they keep on increasing the gas and fuel prices every day. “We are yet to get our GST money back from the central government,” Thackeray said.
Moreover, he pointed out that in every election, from gram Panchayat to Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photos are used. “Sometimes, I wonder, whether Narendra Modi is the prime minister of India or Sarpanch of any village. Many senior BJP leaders' photos including Atal Bihari Vajpayee are missing from the BJP’s posters and banners. There is only one man everywhere,” he said.