Jalgaon, April 23: In a strong, no-holds-barred attack, Shiv Sena-UBT President Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said that ruling Bharatiya Janata Party "doesn't know what is Hindutva". "Hindutva is not a matter of selfishness, but a nationalist. The BJP doesn't understand what Hindutva is. Their Hindutva is centred around cow and gomutra (cow-urine). Cow slaughter is banned in one state but not in others... This is their Hindutva," said Thackeray, as the BJP fights the Karnataka elections on its pet-theme.

Addressing a massive rally in Pachora, Jalgaon this evening, Thackeray denied the charge that he had left Hindutva, saying that after he took the oath as Chief Minister in November 2019, all religions were treated equally. "I have gone with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)... I have not left Hindutva and will never leave it... show me one instance which made you feel that I had discarded Hindutva," he asked. Uddhav Thackeray and Rahul Gandhi To Meet Personally To Hammer Out Savarkar Row.

Targetting the BJP, he said that "crushing other people and parties" with the support of central investigating agencies or letting loose goons to attack women leaders of opposing political parties "is not our Hindutva". "People ask me - is the BJP a challenge before us? I say the BJP is not a challenge. The real challenge before us is how shall we undo the damage that the BJP is inflicting on the country," he asserted.

He questioned "how is it possible that all corrupt people who join your party (BJP) suddenly become clean", and said that the BJP hounds anybody opposing or daring them. Training guns on the Shiv Sena of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Thackeray said that "seeing this massive gathering, even Pakistan would have said which is the real Shiv Sena... only the Modi-appointed Election Commission of India (ECI) could not realise it". 'Death Warrant Issued': Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis Led Maharashtra Government Will Collapse in 15 to 20 Days, Says Sanjay Raut.

"Some traitors and thieves (Shinde) believed that they are the Shiv Sena. 'Arre hatt..!' Look at this sea of humanity... Your throng will burn down soon... There were natural disasters and even coronavirus in Maharashtra which we tackled effectively, but now this government itself is a calamity for the state," declared Thackeray amid loud cheers and applause. He reiterated that the BJP must declare now whether they going to fight the next elections under Shinde's leadership, and if not then whether the reports are true, that all 48 Lok Sabha seats will be contested by only the BJP.

"The stole the party, they took away the bow and arrow symbol and are trying to steal my father (the late Balasaheb Thackeray). Those who have nothing resort to thieving like this... First you (the voters) elected and put them on the horse, now they deserve to be yanked off their high horse," thundered Thackeray. He lauded former Jammu & Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik's statements on corruption and the Pulwama attacks and how he was asked to keep shut in the matter by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who was in the Corbett National Park at that time.

Thackeray also heaped praises on several "brave, mardana Shiv Sainiks" like Sanjay Raut, Rajan Salvi, Nitin Deshmukh and others for not succumbing to the BJP's pressures through the Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax or Central Bureau of Investigation and chose to remain with him, and even spent time in jail. The Sena-UBT chief threw the gauntlet at the ruling Shiv Sena saying he will be addressing more such rallies all over the state, plus joint public meetings of the MVA.

"You can come with Modi and your stolen bow and arrow. I will confront you with my name... Hold the elections now... we are ready to fight and burn your throne with our flaming torch," warned Thackeray. The mammoth rally which got underway around dusk was addressed by other leaders like Leader of Opposition in the Council Ambadas Danve, MP Arvind Sawant, Deputy Leader Sushma Andhare, Vaishali Patil and others.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 23, 2023 10:15 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).