Shiv Sena (UBT) slams BJP's Syama Prasad Mookerjee push as 'futile hypocrisy'
Synopsis
Uddhav Thackeray's Saamana didn't just attack the BJP — it went after the ideological foundation the party is built on. By linking Mookerjee's legacy to Ram Mandir corruption, the Pahalgam response, and the Shiv Sena split, the editorial frames every BJP failure as a symptom of a single, rotten root.
Key Takeaways
Shiv Sena (UBT) published a scathing editorial in Saamana on 8 July calling the BJP's Syama Prasad Mookerjee campaign 'completely futile' and hypocritical.
The editorial alleged there is 'no evidence' of Mookerjee's participation in the freedom struggle or nation-building process.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust was accused of corruption, with the editorial alleging followers of Mookerjee's ideology carried out 'the biggest heist' on the Ram Mandir.
The BJP was accused of using state machinery to fracture the original Shiv Sena and misusing the Constitution in the 2022 split .
The editorial alleged Operation Sindoor was left incomplete and that the government retreated 'under pressure of President Donald Trump ' after the Pahalgam terror attack.
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) on 8 July launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), calling its campaign to project Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee as the architect of 'Akhand Hindustan' (Undivided India) a 'completely futile' exercise rooted in hypocrisy. The broadside appeared in a scathing editorial published in the party's mouthpiece Saamana, targeting the BJP ahead of Mookerjee's 125th birth anniversary observances.
The Core Charge: Hypocrisy on Hindutva
The Saamana editorial questioned the justification for spending crores of rupees from the Central government's treasury to publicise Mookerjee's legacy. The Thackeray camp claimed there is 'no evidence' of Mookerjee's actual participation in the freedom struggle, the nation-building process, or any significant public movement.
The editorial described the ruling party's brand of Hindutva and nationalism as a 'strange concoction' lacking purity or sacredness. It labelled the tributes paid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders to the Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder as 'complete hypocrisy', alleging that genuine architects of India's destiny receive only 'miserly words of tribute' while figures who took an 'opposite' stance during the freedom struggle are showered with praise.
Ram Mandir Trust Controversy Invoked
The Thackeray camp further linked followers of Mookerjee's ideology to alleged administrative irregularities within the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The editorial alleged that the community following Mookerjee's school of thought manages the trust's affairs and has carried out what it called 'the biggest heist' on Lord Shri Ram's temple.
Pointing to recent leadership changes at the trust, the editorial noted that while Champat Rai was removed following controversies, his replacement Bajrang Lal Bagda brings an equally contentious past. 'If you look at the past antics of Bajrang Lal Bagda... the time has come to say that Champat Rai was better,' the editorial alleged, attributing these controversies to what it described as a structural flaw in the BJP's own foundation.
Shiv Sena Split and Constitutional Misuse Alleged
The editorial also revisited the fracturing of the original Shiv Sena, accusing the BJP of using state machinery to break up regional pro-Hindutva parties. 'These very people broke the pro-Hindutva Shiv Sena into pieces and misused the Constitution for that purpose,' the editorial charged — a direct reference to the 2022 Shiv Sena split that gave rise to rival factions.
Operation Sindoor and Pakistan Policy Under Fire
Turning to national security, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party accused the current leadership of cowardice, alleging that following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, leaders offered only 'empty threats' to Pakistan before going silent. The editorial further alleged that Operation Sindoor was left incomplete and that the administration 'straightaway retreated under the pressure of President Donald Trump.'
The editorial concluded with a warning that patriotism and bravery cannot be expected from those who follow Mookerjee's school of thought, asserting that under the current regime, 'the country, Hindutva, and Ram have become unsafe.' The BJP is yet to formally respond to the editorial's charges.
Point of View
Ram Mandir finances, Operation Sindoor, and the Shiv Sena split into a single editorial, the Thackeray camp is attempting to build a coherent counter-narrative: that BJP's Hindutva is structurally corrupt, not merely politically opportunistic. What mainstream coverage misses is the Ram Mandir angle — linking Bajrang Lal Bagda's appointment directly to Mookerjee's ideological lineage is a pointed escalation that goes well beyond routine opposition rhetoric. Whether this finds traction with voters, however, depends on whether the BJP chooses to respond or simply absorb the attack.
NationPress
8 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Saamana editorial say about Syama Prasad Mookerjee?
The Saamana editorial called the BJP's campaign to project Mookerjee as the architect of 'Akhand Hindustan' a 'completely futile' exercise steeped in hypocrisy. It claimed there is 'no evidence' of Mookerjee's actual participation in India's freedom struggle or nation-building process.
Why did Shiv Sena (UBT) raise the Ram Mandir Trust in this context?
The editorial alleged that followers of Mookerjee's ideology manage the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and have carried out what it called 'the biggest heist' on the Ram Mandir. It also pointed to the controversy surrounding Champat Rai's removal and his replacement Bajrang Lal Bagda's contentious past.
What did the Saamana editorial allege about Operation Sindoor?
The editorial alleged that Operation Sindoor was left incomplete and that the government retreated under pressure from US President Donald Trump following the Pahalgam terror attack. It accused the leadership of offering only 'empty threats' to Pakistan before going silent.
How does this editorial relate to the Shiv Sena split?
The Saamana editorial accused the BJP of using state machinery to fracture the original Shiv Sena and misusing the Constitution in the process — a reference to the 2022 split that divided the party into the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT) and the Eknath Shinde-led faction.
Has the BJP responded to Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Saamana editorial?
As of the time of reporting, the BJP has not issued a formal response to the charges levelled in the Saamana editorial. The party is yet to address the allegations concerning Mookerjee's legacy, the Ram Mandir Trust, or Operation Sindoor.
