‘Jihadi, anti-Hindu’: How BJP described Raj, Uddhav Thackeray’s reunion at joint rally
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and MNS head Raj Thackeray appeared together publicly for the first time in 20 years. They united in opposition to what they called the Maharashtra government’s alleged enforcement of the Hindi language in the state, reported PTI. Amid the reunion of the Thackeray brothers, leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party have reacted to the joint rally, where some stated it is a measure of “public appeasement” and an “anti-Hindu gathering.”
Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar criticised Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena for their joint rally in Mumbai on Saturday, calling it a “public appeasement” campaign aimed at elections rather than a genuine event for language issues.
Ashish Shelar, in a post on the social media platform X, condemned the Shiv Sena (UBT), saying, “This isn’t about language… It’s a public appeasement campaign for elections! With the municipal elections approaching, the panicked Ubatha Sena (a mocking term for Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena) has suddenly remembered “brotherhood.”
He further added, “Today’s so-called family get-together in Worli was a public appeasement event for the very brother they once threw out of the house. There is no real love for language involved here… and they’ve never truly cared for it anyway! This is nothing but a desperate scramble to regain power in the municipal corporation, so they can once again loot Mumbai. Mr. Uddhav Thackeray’s handshake with Raj Thackeray is nothing but “Trying to win the family truce because they know they’ll lose the election!”
Meanwhile Minister Nitesh Rane slammed both Raj and Uddhav Thackeray for the joint rally in Mumbai, terming it as a “jihadi and anti-Hindu gathering” aimed at dividing society and weakening the state.
“We are Hindus and also proud Marathi. The way jihadis attempt to divide our society, these people are doing the same. Be it (banned) Popular Front of India (PFI) or Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) who work against the idea of a Hindu Rashtra, these two (Thackerays) are no different. They are trying to weaken the state,” PTI quoted Rane while he was speaking to the reporters on Friday.
The BJP leader said, “The Worli meeting is aimed at dividing Hindus and Marathi people. It can be equated with the rallies of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), PFI or SIMI. It will cause the biggest damage to Hindus in the state. It is an anti-Hindu rally.”
