Kalaram Temple flag hoisting snubbed opposition, betrayed Ambedkar legacy: Shiv Sena (UBT)
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) on Friday, 8 May 2025, sharply criticised the Maharashtra government for excluding the opposition and key social communities from the 'Dharmadhvaja' (religious flag) hoisting ceremony at the historic Shri Kalaram Temple in Nashik. The party, through its mouthpiece 'Saamana', argued that the event — held on Wednesday as a precursor to next year's Simhastha Kumbh Mela — was reduced from a collective celebration of faith to a partisan political showcase for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Ambedkar's Legacy at the Centre of the Controversy
The Saamana editorial underscored the deep historical significance of the Kalaram Temple, calling it a cornerstone of Indian social history. On 2 March 1930, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar led a landmark Satyagraha at this very temple to secure entry rights for Dalits — a struggle against untouchability and entrenched social inequality that transformed the temple into a symbol of national unity. The Thackeray camp argued that Wednesday's ceremony dishonoured that legacy by converting a site of inclusive resistance into a platform for political optics.
Who Was Invited — and Who Was Not
The ceremony drew high-profile attendees, including former President Ram Nath Kovind, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and several cabinet ministers. However, according to the editorial, no invitations were reportedly extended to the current generations of the families of Dr Ambedkar, Mahatma Phule, or Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj — figures central to Maharashtra's social reform movement. The editorial also noted that the family of the late Balasaheb Thackeray, despite his foundational role in awakening Hindutva in Maharashtra, was reportedly not invited. The party contended that including leaders from the Indian National Congress (Congress), the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and other formations would have better reflected the spirit of 'Sakal Hindu Samaj' — the entire Hindu community.
Allegations of Corruption and Social Neglect
The editorial raised pointed questions about the ₹35,000 crore allocated for the Kumbh Mela, alleging fears that a significant portion of these funds could be diverted to contractors from outside Maharashtra rather than serving the religious cause. Saamana claimed the BJP had become, in its words,
