Had Lord Ram not been born, what issue would have BJP raised in politics: Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray

Maharashtra CM and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray said, "The BJP doesn't have the patent for Hindutva. I wonder had Lord Ram not been born what issue the BJP would have raised in politics. Since BJP is bereft of issues it is talking about religion and (spreading) hatred." 

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said the BJP doesn't hold "patent" on Hindutva and claimed that the late Sena supremo Bal Thackeray had showed BJP that the combination of "saffron and Hindutva" will help in achieving power in Centre.

Thackeray also said Sena has always been committed to the "bhagva" (saffron) and Hindutva "unlike BJP which had different names like Bharatiya Jan Sangh and Jan Sangh which propagated different ideologies".

Joining virtually the campaign for Maha Vikas Aghadi's (MVA) candidate Jayashree Jadhav, who belongs to Congress, for the April 12 bypoll from the Kolhapur North seat, Thackeray also blamed BJP for the defeat of the Shiv Sena nominee from the constituency in the 2019 polls despite the alliance between the two parties at that time.

He wondered if BJP had had a hidden alliance with Congress in this constituency in the 2019 polls.

"The BJP doesn't have the patent for Hindutva. I wonder had Lord Ram not been born what issue the BJP would have raised in politics. Since BJP is bereft of issues it is talking about religion and (spreading) hatred," Thackeray said.