08 July,2026 12:21 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Uddhav Thackeray. File Pic
The Shiv Sena (UBT) has launched a sharp attack on its former ally BJP, calling the ruling party's efforts to highlight Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee's vision of "Akhand Hindustan" a "completely futile" exercise.
In an editorial published in its party mouthpiece "Saamana", the Uddhav Thackeray-led party questioned the Centre's spending on events and campaigns linked to Mookerjee's 125th birth anniversary celebrations.
The editorial claimed that there is "no evidence" of Mookerjee's participation in the nation-building process, the freedom movement, or any major public movement.
It also criticised the BJP's interpretation of nationalism and Hindutva, describing it as a "strange concoction" that lacks "purity or sacredness".
Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior BJP leaders for praising the Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder, the editorial described the tributes as "complete hypocrisy".
"On the birth anniversaries of the true architects of the nation's destiny, words of tribute are used miserly, while flowers are showered on those who took an 'opposite' stance in the country's freedom struggle. The exact same pattern is visible in the case of Dr Mookerjee," the editorial noted, adding that his true character has been exposed due to the BJP's "extreme Hindutva and its indigestion of nationalism".
The Shiv Sena (UBT) alleged that the BJP's political approach reflects contradictions between its claims and actions.
The editorial also targeted those associated with Mookerjee's ideology while referring to alleged issues related to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) claimed that people following Mookerjee's ideology are managing the affairs of the Ram temple and alleged irregularities in its functioning.
The editorial referred to recent changes in the temple trust leadership, including the replacement of Champat Rai with Bajrang Lal Bagda.
"If you look at the past antics of Bajrang Lal Bagda... the time has come to say that Champat Rai was better," the editorial alleged.
It further claimed that such controversies reflected deeper issues within the BJP's political structure.
The editorial also accused the ruling party of using political power to weaken regional parties with similar ideological backgrounds.
"These very people broke the pro-Hindutva Shiv Sena into pieces and misused the Constitution for that purpose," it charged, referring to the split in the original Shiv Sena.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led party has repeatedly criticised the BJP following the split that resulted in two factions of the Shiv Sena.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) also criticised the Centre's handling of national security and foreign policy matters.
The editorial alleged that after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, leaders only issued "empty threats" against Pakistan. It further claimed that "Operation Sindoor" was left incomplete and that the government "straightaway retreated under the pressure of President Donald Trump".
The editorial concluded by questioning the ruling party's policies and claimed that under the current leadership, "the country, Hindutva, and Ram have become unsafe".
