Shiv Sena backstabbed Hindutva, Maharashtra, says BJP leader at Savarkar event

THANE: BJP national secretary Sunil Deodhar on Saturday said his party had never approached the Shiv Sena for an alliance but the latter stabbed its long-time ally in the back post the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly polls and hence had no right to speak on Hindutva.

Addressing an event here to mark the birth anniversary of Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar, he said the Hindutva of Sena founder Bal Thackeray was inspirational and current party head and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray must take note of it.

"The BJP never went to the Shiv Sena for an alliance.

The Shiv Sena attacks from behind and backstabbed Maharashtra and Hindutva.

They have no right to speak on Hindutva," Deodhar said in a reference to Uddhav Thackeray joining hands with the Congress and NCP to form government in Maharashtra.

Speaking on 'Savarkar's Political Struggle', which was the topic of the event, he said the Hindutva of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah was inspired from the thoughts and actions of Savarkar.

The 'Hinduizing' of politics, as envisaged by Savarkar, had now begun from Uttar Pradesh in the true sense, he said, adding that a series of developments like the Ram Mandir construction, scrapping of Article 370, the Citizenship Amendment Act etc were underway before the COVID-19 pandemic brought it to a halt.

He said some misconceptions had been spread about Savarkar over the years, but such attempts are now on the wane, and gradually society was getting to know his towering qualities, including patriotism.