Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday launched his “Ram Raksha” agitation over the alleged donation embezzlement at the Ayodhya Ram temple and said those looting Hindus are in power, seeking to corner the ruling BJP over Hindutva.
Addressing a rally outside the Hanuman temple in Dadar in central Mumbai, where he recited “Hanuman Stotra”, “Hanuman Chalisa” and “Ram Raksha Stotra”, Thackeray demanded an impartial probe into the matter.
He also invoked the “Garv se kaho Hindu hain” slogan given by Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray. When Uddhav Thackeray was the chief minister of Maharashtra, the then Lok Sabha MP Navneet Rana was arrested in a case linked to reciting the Hanuman Chalisa outside his residence in 2022.
“If anyone loots a temple by misusing Hindutva, then Hindus will not spare them,” he said.
Thackeray also gave a call for a “BJP-mukt Ram”, saying Lord Ram belongs to everyone.
The BJP hit back at Thackeray, with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis saying he was glad that the Sena (UBT) chief had “finally remembered Ram” after allegedly abandoning the path shown by the Lord.
Speaking to reporters in Gadchiroli on the sidelines of a programme, Fadnavis said, “Our only expectation was that he should remember Ram. He had abandoned Ram’s path. That’s why his party declined. If he walks the path of Ram, it will be good for him. Not just today, I expect that he will recite ‘Ram Raksha’ every day.”
Ever since Thackeray parted ways with the BJP in 2019 and aligned with the Congress, his former ally has repeatedly accused him of abandoning Hindutva. This was also one of the reasons that current Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had cited when he revolted against Thackeray in 2022 and split the Shiv Sena.
In his address, Thackeray alleged, “In the last 12 years, we thought our ‘bhagwa’ (saffron) government was in power. Atal ji (BJP stalwart and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee) had said that now Hindus would not get beaten up. It is unfortunate that the people in power are looting Hindus.”
Wearing a saffron kurta, Thackeray said a robber cannot be asked to probe the robbery committed by him. It has to be done impartially or else a clean chit will be given to everyone, he said.
The former Maharashtra CM also said he won’t sit quiet until there is an impartial investigation and exhorted his party workers to take the agitation to the village level.
He said Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray awakened Hindus, but they are being “hypnotised” today.
The alleged embezzlement of Ram temple donations came to light on June 7. Later, an FIR was registered on June 25 following a preliminary report by the Special Investigation Team, which was constituted by the UP government. Eight persons associated with the temple’s donation and counting process have been arrested in the case, and the investigation is continuing.
“Money was being hidden in toilets. This is their dirty Hindutva. This is an insult to Hindutva,” he further said.
The Sena (UBT) chief claimed he was worried about what would happen in Kashi (Varanasi) and Mathura, referring to the slogan “Ayodhya toh jhanki hai, Kashi, Mathura abhi baaki hain. (Ayodhya was a trailer, and Kashi and Mathura are yet to come)”.
“We are staunch Hindus who take pride in our country. We are innocent and naive but not fools. Now Hindus will not spare you if our Hindutva is misused to loot a temple,” he said.
Thackeray said those who make allegations against his party are “chor rakshaks” (protectors of thieves).
Alluding to the BJP, Thackeray said that while taking power in the country, “Jai Shri Ram” and “Mandir Wahi Banayege” calls were given. No other party did the kind of work that Shiv Sainiks did during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, he claimed.
He said Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, the head of Jyotir Math in Uttarakhand, had alleged that several kilograms of gold had been stolen from the Kedarnath shrine. Thackeray said there are also allegations of land irregularities against Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister in Ujjain. There is also a buzz of robbery in the Badrinath temple, he claimed.
