Is Shiv Sena descending into BJP's trap?

The Shiv Sena seems to be slowly descending into the BJP's trap as a result of the Azan-Hanuman Chalisa loudspeaker row in Maharashtra.

The BJP deployed many of its personnel to target Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray, who heads the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

As the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government complete the halfway mark, their troubles seem to be compounding even as their leaders come under the intense scrutiny of Central agencies like the CBI, the ED and the NIA.

Also Read: Raj Thackeray's speech aimed at dividing society: Dilip Walse Patil

A host of municipal and local body polls are expected in 2022-23 in Maharashtra, which would be a sort of mini-Assembly polls in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha and the Vidhan Sabha polls.

The most crucial election is the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the richest civic body whose Budget is bigger than some small states.

Battlelines were drawn on the occasion of Gudi-Padwa a month ago when MNS President Raj Thackeray demanded that loudspeakers be removed from mosques. If that didn't happen, he said that his party workers would play the Hanuman-Chalisa at double the volume.

The BJP, including Leader of Opposition in the Assembly and ex-two time Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, his Council counterpart Pravin Darekar and state President Chandrakant Patil backed Raj, who is Uddhav's estranged cousin.

While the state witnessed another Raj-Uddhav clash, the Rana couple - Navneet Kaur Rana, independent MP from Amravati, and Ravi Rana, her husband and three-time MLA from Badnera, declared that they would recite the Hanuman-Chalisa outside Matoshree, the residence of Thackeray. This led to a war of words and Shiv Sainiks took to the streets - much on expected lines - and what followed were arrests, a couple of FIRs and sedition charges.

Also Read: No Shiv Sainik was present when Babri Masjid was brought down: Devendra Fadnavis

Union MSME Minister Narayan Rane, who is Uddhav's bete noire, and Fadnavis came out in support of the Rana couple. Rane again raked up the deaths of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput and talent manager Disha Salian.

The situation is also a challenge for veteran politician Sharad Pawar's NCP as his party holds the Home Affairs portfolio.

Veteran political analyst, journalist and writer Prakash Akolkar said: "Over the developments of the last month and reading today's newspapers, it gave me the impression that we are somewhere in 1992."

Akolkar's view assumes significance when considering that Fadnavis has vowed to make a comeback and lashed out at the party's former ally by saying that not a single Shiv Sena member was present when the Babri Masjid was brought down. "People who're scared of removing loudspeakers from mosques are saying that they demolished Babri," said Fadnavis, adding that the Shiv Sena no longer represented Hindutva.

The late Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray, after the demolition of the Babri Masjid on Dec. 6, 1992, had said: "Babri padli, ti padnarya Shiv Sainikancha mala abhiman ahe" (I am proud of the Shiv Sainiks who razed Babri).

Uddhav, in response, chose to put the ball into the Centre's court and said: "The 'note-bandi' (demonetisation) was nationwide… the (Covid-19) lockdown was nationwide… similarly, carry out 'bhonga-bandi' (loudspeaker ban) nationwide."

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