The BJP’s Hindutva is not the real Hindutva as Hindutva does not create rift between communities, Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray said.
Addressing a meeting of the North Indian community, Thackeray recalled the contribution of his late father and Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray and his contribution to the Hindutva movement. “It was Balasaheb who gave the call - ‘garv se kaho…hum Hindu hai’…do you think that these people (BJP) had the guts,” he said.
“BJP’s Hindutva is not the real Hindutva…Hindutva does not create enmity and rift between communities, it takes everyone together,” Thackeray said.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to institute of Dawoodi Bohra community in Mumbai, he said: “They (BJP) accused me of leaving Hindutva…the other day, the prime minister attended the event of Bohra community….they are good people and we have many friends in the community…but had I gone there (and attended such a function) they would have accused me of leaving Hindutva.”
Thackeray said that the Shiv Sena has risen to the occasion several times. “Let me tell two events - during the 1992-93 communal riots in Mumbai and during the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Thackeray, a former Maharashtra Chief Minister, who was dislodged eight months ago by own party leader Eknath Shinde with the help of the BJP.