Shiv Sena Chief Leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Uddhav Thackeray‑led Shiv Sena (UBT) over their ‘Ram Raksha’ agitation.
He remarked that those who once made derogatory remarks about Ram devotees, labelled their own Hindutva politics a “mistake,” and allied with the Congress for the sake of power, are now conveniently chanting the name of Lord Ram and Hindutva.
Shinde’s statement came after Uddhav Thackeray led the Ram Raksha protest against the Ayodhya temple theft in Nagpur, saying that protecting Ram is the duty of true devotees.
The Deputy Chief Minister stated that the UBT faction has allied with political forces that have historically opposed Hindutva, Veer Savarkar and the core ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray. By aligning with such elements, he argued, the UBT has long abandoned the path of true Hindutva.
Recalling the legacy of the Shiv Sena founder, Shinde said Balasaheb Thackeray always taught them to say with pride, “Garv se kaho, hum Hindu hain” (Say with pride, we are Hindus).
He added that Hindutva is not a garment that can be shed and worn at convenience. “Before talking about ‘Ram Raksha’, they must first protect their own party and dwindling ideology,” he said.
Taking a direct swipe at Uddhav Thackeray, Shinde drew a parallel with the Ramayana. He noted that Lord Ram willingly accepted a 14‑year exile to fulfil a promise made by his father. Conversely, those who abandoned their own father’s principles and values midway possess no moral right to speak on the ideals of Lord Ram.
“This is not an effort for ‘Ram Raksha’, but a desperate attempt at ‘Self‑Raksha’ to save their own party,” he added.
Shinde challenged the UBT leadership regarding their invitation strategy for the agitation. He stated that if they were genuinely sincere about the ‘Ram Raksha’ movement, they should have first extended invitations to their political allies, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav. Only after doing so should they have invited the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghchalak and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, he added.
He reminded the public of the opposition’s past scepticism, noting that these very leaders used to mockingly ask for the date of the Ram Mandir construction.
He highlighted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a magnificent Ram Temple has been built in Ayodhya, and Article 370 has been repealed in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Had the late Balasaheb Thackeray been alive today, he would have wholeheartedly welcomed these historic decisions by PM Modi. Instead, the UBT leadership remains consumed by criticising PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, completely ignoring the country’s rapid progress under their vision,” Shinde said.
Concluding his remarks, the Deputy Chief Minister asserted that the people of Maharashtra are politically astute.
He stated that the public has already delivered a fitting response in the elections, teaching a lesson to those who compromised Balasaheb Thackeray’s ideology in 2019 out of sheer lust for power.
