- Raj Thackeray accused BJP of inciting Marathi-North Indian tensions.
- Thackeray alleged BJP uses divisive tactics for electoral gains.
- He warned Marathis against BJP’s traps, urged community unity.
- MNS seeks Chhath Puja beach restrictions due to environmental pollution.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Friday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to manufacture fear and trigger tensions between Marathis and North Indians over Chhath Puja in Mumbai and Maharashtra ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. He alleged that the BJP was deliberately trying to create a regional divide for electoral gains.
In a post on X, Thackeray targeted the BJP and what he described as the “toxic social media ecosystem” it had nurtured, alleging that reels portraying Chhath rituals as a form of “cultural invasion” were being circulated to provoke tensions.
He also claimed that attempts were made to play Bhojpuri songs at certain railway stations in Mumbai, but the MNS promptly intervened to stop them. Thackeray said the BJP was frustrated because the conflict it wanted to provoke had failed to materialise, adding that these efforts were being orchestrated with an eye on the Uttar Pradesh elections.
Raj Thackeray Accuses BJP Of Using Divide-And-Rule Tactics
Thackeray alleged that the BJP had repeatedly relied on divisive tactics to secure electoral victories, citing instances of Hindu-Muslim tensions ahead of Lok Sabha elections and caste-based divisions before state elections.
He also referred to the Marathi-Gujarati divide allegedly created during the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections last year over the issue of feeding pigeons.
Accusing the BJP of being unable to win elections on the basis of its performance, Thackeray alleged that it engineered conflicts between communities to consolidate political support. He urged Marathis not to fall into what he described as traps laid to serve the BJP’s electoral interests.
Raj Thackeray Warns Against Falling Into BJP’s ‘Trap’
Thackeray urged Marathis not to engage in confrontations on a battlefield chosen by the BJP, saying the community should decide when and how to respond.
Referring to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s guerrilla warfare tactics, he said Marathis should remember the state’s history and avoid falling into political traps.
“I urge the Marathi people: there is no need for us to fight on the battlefield of their choosing. That is not the ‘Maharashtra way.’ They may have forgotten Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s guerrilla warfare tactics, but we must remember it. We shall decide how and when to respond using these tactics. We must not fall into the traps they have laid for their own selfish ends,” he said in a post on X.
He also appealed to North Indian and Gujarati communities not to allow themselves to be used to create divisions, alleging that the BJP was pitting communities against each other for its own political interests.
Thackeray further accused the BJP of damaging Maharashtra’s social harmony and alleged that the state’s natural resources, forests and land were being handed over to a single industrialist and his associates.
MNS Seeks Chhath Puja Restrictions At Mumbai Beaches
Following a tweet by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, the party has intensified its stand on Chhath Puja celebrations in Mumbai, demanding restrictions at Juhu, Versova and other beaches similar to those imposed at Girgaum Chowpatty.
MNS Vidhyarthi Sena vice-president Kushal Dhuri clarified that the party is not opposed to Chhath Puja but objects to the environmental pollution associated with the celebrations.
Earlier, the MNS had demanded a ban on Chhath Puja celebrations at Juhu, Versova, Madh Island and Gorai beaches, on the lines of Girgaum Chowpatty. Party office-bearers had also met Deputy Mayor Sanjay Gadi and submitted a memorandum seeking restrictions at these locations.
However, MNS leaders were questioned about their understanding of why and how Chhath Puja is celebrated. They were also unable to respond to questions about pollution in the sea throughout the year.
Dhuri said that if the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had made arrangements for artificial ponds, it could have reduced the pressure on the police for security arrangements.
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