NEW DELHI: The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Thursday called for India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratnawhich will be conferred on the late Hindu nationalist leader. The suit came on the 99th birth anniversary of the Shiv Sena founder. Speaking at the memorial at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, leader Sanjay Raut attacked the BJP-led government for giving the honor to undeserving people in the last decade while neglecting Thackeray.
“But the man who truly sowed the seeds of Hindutva Bharat Ratna should also be given in the country. Why has Bharat Ratna not been given? ‘Hindu-hriday Samrat’ Bal Thackeray should be honored with the award. This is the demand of Shiv Sena (UBT),” Raut said.
He urged the government to announce the award before Thackeray’s centenary next year. “Before the centenary begins, it is necessary that I obtain the Bharat Ratna. The Bharat Ratna could not be given to Veer Savarkar. If you give Bharat Ratna to Bala-saheb, it will also be an honor for you. Veer Savarkar”Raut added.
South Mumbai MP and party leader Arvind Sawant echoed the demand and pointed out Thackeray’s impact on Hindutva. “The government (at the Centre), which calls itself pro-Hindutva, should honor him with Bharat Ratna. We firmly demand it,” he stated.
Raut also harshly rebuked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for paying tributes to Thackeray on social media and allegedly undermining his legacy. “Prime Minister Modi and Amit Shah tried to disrupt the party and are now tweeting to wish him his birthday. If people like Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis pay tribute to Balasaheb Thackeray on Twitter (X), then it is the greatest hypocrisy. Shiv Sena is Balasaheb Thackeray’s life and they attacked it,” Raut said.
Praising the late leader, Raut added, “Leaders like Balasaheb Thackeray will not be born again in this country. He made leaders out of ordinary people like us. He never held any position. What did the BJP do? “They broke up the game because of their interest.”
Raut attacked the rival Shiv Sena faction led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and compared it to “Chinese firecrackers”. “There are counterfeit medicines, clothes on the market… There are Chinese cookies. They don’t explode but there are only sparks. These products are brought by the BJP,” he said.
He claimed that the real Shiv Sena remains in Matoshri, the residence of Uddhav Thackeray in Bandra. “The real Shiv Sena is in ‘Matoshri’,” Raut said.