Uddhav Thackeray Blames BJP, RSS for Language Conflicts

Mumbai, March 10 (NationPress) Shiv Sena UBT President Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday accused the BJP and RSS of igniting conflicts concerning the language issue after previously instigating disputes over deities.

“The RSS members sit on rooftops with sticks, which are better suited for drying clothes. These individuals preach patriotism from their homes, even when a conflict with Pakistan arises. Just as they lack any connection to the country's freedom struggle, they are also disconnected from the fight for a united Maharashtra. Those who have no ties to independence are now steering the country. Moreover, those who provoke disputes over deities are now stirring up issues surrounding language,” he stated during his address at the party’s training camp.

He specifically criticized RSS veteran Bhayyaji Joshi for his recent remark that “individuals moving to Mumbai don’t need to learn Marathi.”

“We harbor no animosity towards Gujarat. However, these people are now promoting linguistic regionalism. We identify as Hindus across the nation, but here in Maharashtra, we are Marathi. The language of Ghatkopar is referred to as Gujarati. Do not instruct us. The BJP and RSS have also contributed to the division in the struggle for a united Maharashtra,” he claimed.

Thackeray further expressed, “This struggle transcends political boundaries. It is not merely a party battle but one for our mother tongue and the identity of Maharashtra.” He reiterated that the RSS and BJP preach patriotism from rooftops, while the country’s governance rests in the hands of those disconnected from the freedom movement.

“We follow Mohan Bhagwat. If he had not attended the Kumbh Mela, how would I?” he questioned.

“We also proclaim Jai Shri Ram. What right does the BJP have over Ram?” he pondered. “We desire a BJP-free Ram. We will chant Jai Shri Ram, but we will compel BJP members to say Jai Shivaji, Jai Bhavani. Are you now instigating conflicts over deities?”

Thackeray criticized the BJP for its superficial claims of patriotism. “It was Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray who asserted that India should refrain from playing matches with Pakistan until Pakistan adopts a friendly stance. Yet now, they (the BJP and RSS) are instructing us on patriotism,” he remarked.

In response to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s taunt that he was not his predecessor to continue ongoing projects, he said, “You are not Uddhav Thackeray and cannot become Uddhav Thackeray.”

Thackeray further noted during his speech at the party’s training camp, “I ensured that work continued during the pandemic. I did not halt the Metro project or the Coastal Road efforts. Even in hospitals, we offer services and amenities that you have never experienced in your lifetime. Just because I refused to engage in the unethical practices of your associates, does not make me any less Uddhav Thackeray. You (CM Fadnavis) are not Uddhav Thackeray and cannot transform into him.”

“In 2012, we triumphed in Mumbai with just two words, ‘Karun Dakhavle’ (we have shown) and repeated this in 2017 (BMC elections). Devendra Fadnavis should be reminded that the Coastal Road is not your accomplishment; it belongs to Shiv Sena. I laid the foundation stone for it. Even though you have initiated the Nhava Sheva-Sewri link road, I was the one who set its first girder as Chief Minister,” he retorted to Fadnavis’s remarks.

Thackeray proclaimed that he intends to restore the party to power after their rivals are decisively defeated.