BJP conspiring to divide Hindus in Maharashtra, says Uddhav Thackeray
Mumbai (PTI): Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday accused the BJP of conspiring to divide Hindus in the state.
Thackeray made the comments during his online address to Shiv Sena's district chiefs from Konkan region, and from western and north Maharashtra, according to the points shared by the party from his speech.
Without naming the BJP, Thackeray alleged that it was trying to paint Maharashtra as "anti-Hindu" as it allegedly did in the cases of West Bengal and Kerala - both non-BJP ruled states.
The BJP has been targeting its erstwhile ally, the Shiv Sena, over the issue of Hindutva ever since the Thackeray-led party formed government in Maharashtra by joining hands with the NCP and the Congress.
"We always say Maharashtra shows the direction. Now, Maharashtra should show the direction again It is the BJP's conspiracy to divide Hindus and Marathis and non-Marathis in Maharashtra," Thackeray as alleged.
Interacting with media persons after Thackeray's address to the party leaders, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut told reporters here that the former laid emphasis on building the party organisation.
Thackeray also made a pitch for retaliation if political attacks are made on the Shiv Sena, Raut said.
"He (Thackeray) said we will need to unmask the pretentious elements. There is no challenge of duplicate Hindutvavadis before the Shiv Sena," Raut said.
The Parliamentarian added that Thackeray also expressed his resolve to visit parts of Maharashtra in the near future.
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Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
