Will never dump Hindutva: Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray tells House
Mumbai, Dec 1: Notwithstanding the ruling Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress combine mentioning the word "secular" in the preamble of its Common Minimum Programme (CMP), Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said he would never abandon the ideology of Hindutva.
Thackeray, who heads the Sena, told the Legislative Assembly that ideology of Hindutva cannot be separated from him.
"I am still with the ideology of Hindutva which cannot be separated from me," he said while addressing the special session.
Thackeray also took a swipe at former chief minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Hindutva.
"To keep a promise is also part of my Hindutva. I have been following my Hindutva yesterday, today and will continue to do so in future as well," Thackeray said.
Thackeray's barb came against the backdrop of the then CM Fadnavis rejecting Thackeray's claim after the October 24 poll results that the BJP had promised the Sena a rotational chief ministership in new NDA government that was not formed then.
The Sena and the BJP had contested the October 21 elections together, but the saffron allies fell out bitterly over the Sena's demand for splitting the post of chief minister for equal term with the BJP.
The BJP won 105 out of the total 288 seats while the Sena won 56, followed by the NCP (54) and the Congress (44).
After falling out with the BJP and the NDA, the Sena joined hands with the NCP and the Congress to form Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition government of which Thackeray is chief minister.
The MVA government won the floor test on November 30 with the support of 169 MLAs in the 288-member House, four days after the 80-hours-old BJP-Ajit Pawar government collapsed for want of numbers.
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Three footballers of Indian origin named in squads for FIFA World Cup 2026
New Delhi: Three footballers of Indian origin have been named in preliminary or final squads for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026, scheduled to be held across the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19.
According to a report published by Mathrubhumi, Sarpreet Singh was included in the New Zealand national football team squad which was announced on Wednesday.
Born in Auckland to Indian parents, Singh was eligible to represent India through his family roots but chose to play for New Zealand. The 27-year-old attacking midfielder made his senior international debut in 2018 and has since become a regular member of the national side.
Singh has made 26 appearances for New Zealand and has scored three goals while providing seven assists.
Julen Lopetegui has included two players of Indian origin: Niall Mason and Tahsin Mohammed, in Qatar’s selections for the tournament.
Mason, a defender whose mother is Indian, previously trained in the youth academies of Real Madrid, Southampton FC and Aston Villa FC. Although he received his first senior call-up earlier this year, the Qatar defender is yet to make his senior international debut.
Tahsin Mohammed, 19, was born to parents from Kerala’s Kannur district. His father Jamshid is from Thalassery, while his mother Shaima belongs to Valapattanam. The winger became the first player of Indian origin to feature in the Qatar Stars League, Qatar’s premier domestic football competition.
Mohammed has made two appearances for the senior Qatar side, including in a World Cup qualifier against Afghanistan in June 2024.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be jointly hosted by United States, Mexico and Canada.
