Stating that the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction’s brand of Hindutva was an inclusive one and not one that stirred religious discord between communities, former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Monday claimed that Muslims and Christians were joining his party to fight the shadow of dictatorship that was allegedly hovering over the country.
The former CM, who was addressing rallies at Rajapur and Chiplun (in Ratnagiri district) on the second day of his tour of the Konkan region, attacked the rival Shiv Sena faction led by present CM Eknath Shinde and the ruling BJP, accusing them of unleashing probe agencies to harass leaders of the Sena (UBT).
Speaking in Rajapur, Mr. Thackeray said, “I see saffron caps here as well as people form the Muslim community. There is Chhatrapati Shivaji’s statue here as well as a dargah. When I was in Raigad recently, Muslims there presented me with a copy of the Quran in Marathi. They have understood the meaning of our Hindutva. I am saying again that our brand of Hindutva is not one that creates religious discord or sets fire to relations between two communities. It is an inclusive one.”
