'Unclean water': Raj Thackeray's refusal to drink Ganga jal draws ire of Centre, Oppn

Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray on Sunday mocked people who bathed in Sangam during the recently-concluded Maha Kumbh Mela festivities in Prayagraj and said he refused to touch the water brought from Ganga river by one of his close aides.

Raj Thackeray is considered close to BJP and has adopted Hindutva as its mission.

After making the contentious statement, several leaders of BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena along with some spiritual gurus criticised Raj for making the remark.

During his address at the 19th anniversary of MNS held in Pimpri-Chinchwad in Pune, Raj said, "People should break free from superstition. People should understand the difference between faith and superstitio. Please use your heads properly."

MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar, a former Minister of State for Home had brought back Ganga jal from Maha Kumbh.

“Bala (who had been to Kumbh Mela) had brought some water (from Ganga river) for me in a small ‘kamandal' and told me to drink. I flatly said no,” Raj said.

He further mocked, “In social media I am seeing that people are scrubbing themselves and bathing. The Covid pandemic has just passed, just a couple of years ago, people were roaming around with masks on their faces for two years. Now, they are going there and taking a bath. Who will drink that water?" he said.

Thackeray said he has been hearing that the Ganga will be cleaned since the time of the late former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

"The truth is that Ganga has still not been cleaned. We call it Ganga Ma, not a single river in the country is clean,” Raj said pointing out his experience in foreign countries where he has found the water of rivers absolutely clean and crystal clear.

Meanwhile, BJP leader and state Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan said: “People have faith, one should not hurt sentiments of others.”

In Delhi, BJP leader Nalin Kohli said, ”The Kumbh is a center of faith. Crores of people's faith are associated with it. People have gone to Prayagraj for the holy dip, and they will continue to go... Such comments on faith harm the sentiments of those who hold the Maha Kumbh.”

Meanwhile, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam said: “People, who believe in Sanatan Dharma, had gone there because of faith and took bath in the Sangam, the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. Saying that Ganga is not clean, it is insult to Ganga Maiyya.

"Raj Thackeray makes his stand clear just before elections. In future does he want to become Hindutva virodhi?”

Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey sought an apology from Raj. “Hindu brothers and sisters, Sanatanis, have faith, devotion, and love for Maa Ganga, Maa Yamuna, and Maa Saraswati at the Maha Kumbh.

"Now, Raj Thackeray feels that the water of Maa Ganga is highly polluted, that it cannot even be touched or consumed, he has no right to insult those who believe in Sanatan Dharma and faith.”