Washim (Maharashtra) [India], June 27 (ANI): Launching a fierce attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the alleged Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday claimed that those "looting" the temple are the "descendants of Babar."
Addressing a public gathering in Washim, Thackeray accused the BJP of being "arrogant" and taking credit for the temple while allegedly "running away" during the Babri structure demolition.
"They have become so arrogant that they have now set out to loot the Ram Temple. When the Babri structure was demolished, they ran away. BJP leaders themselves had then said it was not their work. But once the temple was built following the Supreme Court's order, everyone rushed to take credit for it," Thackeray said.
He further alleged that the alleged scam was a betrayal of the entire Hindu community. "If those looting the Ram Temple are not Babar's descendants, then who are they? The betrayal is not just of Shiv Sena but of Hindus and their sentiments. Do these traitors have the courage to raise this issue in Parliament?" he challenged.
Hitting back at critics and rebel leaders who have claimed that his faction of the Shiv Sena is a spent force, the former Maharashtra Chief Minister asserted, "Some people have started howling like foxes, claiming that Shiv Sena is finished and that Uddhav Thackeray no longer travels among the people. Some turned traitors and proved ungrateful, but the staunch and committed Shiv Sainiks never wavered. Now, there is no place for betrayal."
His remarks come at a time when six Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs -- Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav, Bhausaheb Rajaram Wakchaure, Omprakash Bhupalsingh Nimbalkar, Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh and Nagesh Bapurao Patil Ashtikar -- formally joined the Eknath Shinde faction on Monday.
The development reduced Uddhav Thackeray's strength in the Lok Sabha to three MPs and marked another major setback for the Shiv Sena (UBT) following the split in the party in 2022. (ANI)
