Mumbai: “I want to create a new Maharashtra, where there will be no discrimination based on caste-creed and religion,” these were the words Aaditya Thackeray used while he announced his candidature for the recently concluded Maharashtra assembly elections. His party – Shiv Sena, which is known for its hardcore Hindutva ideology, seems to be working on to stand by the words of its leader.
The saffron party is said to be working on changing its stance on stern Hindutva and this could be seen throughout the assembly poll campaigns, which were led by Aditya.
Throughout the campaign, Aaditya was seen donning casual shirts with denim quite contrary to his grandfather and Sena patriarch Bal Thackeray, who maintained his ‘Hindu’ image by flaunting rudraksh mala (religious beads) over his saffron kurta.
However, things seem to have been changing now, especially with the Sena, which is now trying hard to tie a knot with the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to form a ‘stable’ government in the state. Apart from working hard on to form the government, the right-wing party is also aiming to revamp its image.
After this move, rumours are doing round that the Sena has decided to change its stance on Hindutva because of joining forces with Congress and the NCP, however, senior leaders of the saffron party have dismissed such claims.
“From the very first day, the Sena has been an inclusive party. Standing where we are today we have party workers and leaders from varied religions,” said Rahul Kanal, a core committee member of the Sena.
According to Kanal, with time there has been a change in the issues which needs urgent attention from the authorities. “We are in 2019 wherein there are more important issues like unemployment, drought, climate change, illiteracy and poor health infrastructure. Our party wants these issues to be addressed at the earliest,” Kanal stated.
Kanal, however, emphasised that the Sena will not do religious appeasement for political gains.
“Aaditya’s stand is to build a new Maharashtra and that is the sole aim of each one of us, as being Shiv Sainik, the progress of our state is our main agenda,” said Kanal.
Meanwhile, both the Congress and Sena are poles apart in their own ideologies. Sena ahead of the elections had demanded Bharat Ratna for Veer Savarkar, whom the Congress labelled as Mahatma Gandhi’s murderer, whereas the Congress promised four per cent reservation for the Muslims.
Sources from the three parties confirmed, it was due to Sena’s extreme right ideology, the Congress high command has been delaying its stance to take the final call of sealing the alliance.
They also stated senior leaders of Congress and NCP have asked Uddhav Thackeray whether his party will be okay in letting go the Hindutva ideology and adapting a ‘liberal’ outlook.
“Both Sharad Pawar and Balasaheb Thorat asked Uddhav whether Sena is ready to let go its extreme right-wing ideology in politics,” said a senior Sena leader, who is also a close aide of Uddhav.
The Congress’ move to ‘support’ the Sena to form the next government has also not gone down well with the city’s Muslim community, which could be seen on Friday when the community staged protest outside the Congress office at Dadar.
