‘Our Hindutva is not clanging bells, utensils’: Uddhav in Dussehra speech

Mumbai, Oct 25: In a scathing attack on those who are questioning the Shiv Sena's Hindutva, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday.

Addressing the Sena''s annual Dussehra rally, Thackeray said "We are being asked about Hindutva, that why are we not re-opening temples in the state. They say my Hindutva is different from that of Balasaheb Thackeray. Your Hindutva is about clanging bells and utensils, our Hindutva is not like that. Those questioning our Hindutva now were hiding with tail between their legs when Babri mosque was demolished."

Citing RSS chief Mohan Bhagwats speech in Nagpur earlier in the day, Thackeray said, "the RSS chief said Hindutva has been narrowed down to only observing puja rituals."

"Those who wear black cap like him should understand this if they have brains," Thackeray said, in a veiled attack on Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on his remarks over Hindutva while asking for reopening places of religious worship.

"I have no happiness in shutting down places. Lifting of restrictions is being done cautiously and gradually," he said.

He said Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, in alliance with the BJP, had once called for a "Sangh-mukt Bharat" and had also sought a ''secular face'' in 2014 as the BJP''s prime ministerial candidate.

"Has Nitish donned Hindutva robes or has BJP become secular now," Thackeray said.

He also hit out at Kangana Ranaut over her equating Mumbai with Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

"People who have no means of livelihood in their home come to Mumbai and betray it. Calling Mumbai as PoK is in fact the failure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He had said he would get back PoK into India," Thackeray said.

He said Maharashtra-haters had left no stone unturned to defame the state.

The Sena''s annual Dussehra rally was held at the Savarkar hall in Dadar due to coronavirus norms instead of the usual venue, the sprawling Shivaji Park, also in Dadar area.

"Those crying for justice for Bihar''s son are indulging in character assassination of Maharashtra''s son," Thackeray said, breaking his silence on allegations against his son Aaditya Thackeray in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case.

Thackeray said the time has come to reconsider the present GST system and if necessary, to modify it as states are not benefiting from this system.