Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, on Friday, hit out at the BJP saying different states are treated differently and added that Shiv Sena is not afraid of the central investigating agencies.
According to news agency ANI, the chief minister said, “Maharashtra is viewed from a different perspective. If something happens in Maharashtra they say democracy was murdered here. If this is the case in Maharashtra, then what did happen in Uttar Pradesh?”
He pointed out that while the paths of Shiv Sena and BJP may be different, their ideology is same—Hindutva, and that is the reason Sena chose to side with the saffron party. “Our paths may be different, ideology is same—Hindutva, so we went with BJP. You didn’t conform to promise, otherwise, we would have been together. I became CM for promise I made to my father. Other Shiv Sainiks will be CM too,” he said.
Explaining his version of Hindutva, he said Hindutva means love for the nation, and social service. “Balasaheb had said that we are citizens first, religion comes later. When we step out of houses by keeping religion at home, nation becomes our religion. It is our duty to speak against anyone who does anything in religion’s name.”
“Hindutva is social service. We don’t think of religion or caste at the time of donating blood. We don’t see if the blood is Hindu, Muslim or Marathi,” he said.
Thackeray said Shivaji Maharaj and Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray taught the party members that they should not be afraid of anything. “We are not scared of ED and CBI. We are not the ones to hide behind police after making threats,” he said.