Seeking to project the Shiv Sena's Hindutva as broad-based, Uddhav attacked his ally for the killing of a Muslim at Dadri on allegations of eating cow meat and criticised Union minister Gen VK Singh's comments in the context of the murder of two Dalit children in Haryana.
Despite spewing vitriol at the BJP, the Shiv Sena may not quit power but seek a larger pound of flesh in the government in an intricate trapeze act.
Lashing out at his ally for diluting its Hindutva agenda and opposition to Pakistan after coming to power, Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, speaking at the Sena's annual Dussehra rally, signalled the party's intention to appropriate the BJP's Hindutva plank in and outside Maharashtra and attract the hardline Hindu constituency. He also vowed to lead Sena to power on its own in the state.
In a rally where the mood was anti-BJP right from the word go, with leaders launching broadsides at it, Uddhav, who broke his silence after days of sniping between the allies, dared the Narendra Modi-led government to clear its stance on Pakistan. He also sought to appropriate Hindutva icon Swatantryaveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar by demanding conferring of Bharat Ratna on him and sought that India be declared a Hindu rashtra and a uniform civil code be applied.
Seeking to project the Shiv Sena's Hindutva as broad-based, Uddhav attacked his ally for the killing of a Muslim at Dadri on allegations of eating cow meat and criticised Union minister Gen VK Singh's comments in the context of the murder of two Dalit children in Haryana.
"It is good to give slogans like Mandir wahin banyenge, par tarikh nahin batayenge (we will erect the temple, but not reveal the date)," said Uddhav, in a direct attack on the BJP and Sangh Parivar for its vacillation on the Hindu right's centrepiece agenda of a Ram Temple at Ayodhya. "Ram did not kill Ravan in Hindustan, but after going to Lanka," said Uddhav, urging the Centre to take the fight to Pakistan.
"Even Pakistan is keeping an eye on the Shiv Sena's rally... what is special is even the enemy and the friend (BJP) are eager to hear what I say," he added.
"I am not like the socialists from the Janata party days... we wont break a happy marriage. But our commitment is to the people and not power," warned Uddhav, while urging chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to utilise Sena ministers for the state's welfare. He asked the cadre to avoid reacting immediately to criticism by the BJP.
"We are asked when we will quit. Now that we are in, let us work... We know how long to stay in power," he said, even as he castigated the government for the rise in prices of essentials, which he said were stable during the days of the erstwhile Shiv Sena- BJP regime (1995-99).
Uddhav also tried to catch the BJP on the wrong foot over arrests of Malegaon blasts accused Sadhvi Pragya and Lt Col Prasad Purohit and flayed demand for a ban on the right-wing Sanatan Sanstha, whose sadhak Sameer Gaikwad has been accused of murdering CPI leader Govind Pansare.
"Unfortunately for Hindus, the so-called progressive intellectuals are attacking Hindus and those who are calling themselves staunch Hindus are giving us unnecessary advise on giving birth to 10 children. Will you rear them?... why? To clap at Ghulam Ali's mehfils?" asked Uddhav, adding that the Sena's tigers were better than such sheep. Seeking to diversify beyond the Marathi manoos plank, Uddhav said Sainiks had protected Hindus across linguistic boundaries during the 1992-93 riots.
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