Mumbai, July 3 (IANS) Launching a fierce political volleys at the Shiv Sena-UBT Chief Uddhav Thackeray, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane on Friday levelled grave allegations against the former Chief Minister, labeling him a “Pakistani agent” and mockingly referring to him as “Uddhav Ulla Haq” and “Uddhav Al Haq”.

Addressing a press conference, Minister Rane accused Thackeray of echoing the rhetoric of those hostile to India, claiming that his political ideology has undergone a complete transformation.

He criticised the Shiv Sena-UBT Chief after the latter announced the ‘Ram Raksha’ agitation on July 5 near the Hanuman Temple at Dadar to protest against the alleged embezzlement of Ram temple donations.

Minister Rane claimed that Thackeray speaks the language of Pakistani agents to appease political handlers across the border.

“The way people in Pakistan speak ill of India, Uddhav Thackeray speaks the exact same way. He is making these statements simply to please his ‘Abba’ (masters) sitting in Pakistan,” he said.

Taking a sharp jibe at Thackeray’s stance regarding the Ram Temple, Minister Rane remarked that the Shiv Sena-UBT Chief seemed to be “speaking the language of Osama bin Laden” on the issue.

He asserted that the BJP does not treat the Ram Temple as a mere electoral tool.

Minister Rane reminded the public of Thackeray’s tenure as the former Maharashtra Chief Minister, accusing him of keeping Hindu temples shut while in power.

He dismissed Thackeray’s recent religious public appearances, saying, “Now he has started a drama to defame the concept of a Hindu Rashtra. No matter how many Maha Artis he performs in temples, no deity will bless him because his political conversion (‘dharmantar’) is complete,” he noted.

Minister Rane claimed that Thackeray has no genuine relationship with Lord Ram.

“Whichever temple Uddhav Thackeray visits, it should be purified by sprinkling ‘Gaumutra’ (cow urine) afterward. He and Lord Ram have absolutely no connection,” he said.

Minister Rane targeted the elected MPs of the Shiv Sena-UBT, claiming that Thackeray’s lawmakers won their seats in the past solely due to the leadership and wave of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, adding that the public no longer has any connection with the Thackeray-led UBT faction.

Drawing a comparison, the BJP leader concluded by saying that leaders of the ruling MahaYuti alliance leave their political egos and positions at the door when entering places of worship, unlike Thackeray, whose actions he equated to “jihad”.

Meanwhile, State BJP spokesperson Ram Kulkarni took a jibe at Uddhav Thackeray over his Hindutva credentials, saying that the former Chief Minister has absolutely no moral right to recite the Hanuman Chalisa or Ram Raksha Stotra.

“Lest we forget, during your (Uddhav Thackeray’s) tenure as the Chief Minister, it was your government that jailed Ram devotees simply for chanting the Hanuman Chalisa and Ram Raksha,” he alleged.

He claimed that Thackeray’s attempt to make political capital out of the temple incident is nothing but a desperate struggle for self-preservation.

He asserted that the BJP has never used Lord Ram for political gains.

He emphasised that the party spearheaded the construction of the Ram Temple solely because Lord Ram represents India’s cultural identity and faith.

“After decades of struggle and movements for the construction of the Ram Temple, the country witnessed the rise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership in 2012, which ultimately fulfilled the dreams of crores of Hindus and completed the temple’s construction,” Kulkarni said.

Addressing the recent theft at the temple, Kulkarni dismissed it as an isolated incident that is currently under police investigation.

“The police are on the case and the culprits will face strict punishment. However, while the flame of your ‘Torch’ (party symbol) is fading and the Shiv Sena is becoming free of Uddhav’s influence, you are holding onto the temple theft incident just to save your own political existence,” the BJP leader remarked.

–IANS

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