Seeking the resignation of Maharashtra higher education minister Chandrakant Patil on Tuesday, former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray trained guns at the Eknath Shinde-led state government. Thackeray’s outburst was in response to Patil’s recent remarks where he had said that Balasaheb Thackeray or Shiv Sena did not have much of a hand in the demolition of Babri Masjid.

In his rebuttal, Thackeray said Shinde should seek Patil’s resignation or should “resign himself” if he cannot do that. “You are with the people who insult Balasaheb. You are with them only for power,” Uddhav said at a press briefing.

“The issue is serious. Gomutradhari Patil spoke about Babri yesterday, but when Babri was demolished, all these rats had hidden in their holes,” he added.

According to a PTI report, Chandrakant Patil had taken a swipe at Uddhav Thackeray for accusing CM Shinde of stealing the legacy of Bal Thackeray. The late Shiv Sena founder was not the property of anyone and was someone who was hugely respected by the people, Patil had said. “Balasaheb is the property of all Hindus and everyone is free to use his name (legacy),” the BJP leader had said.

“Even our PM, who was busy in the Bangladesh struggle, even he might have been in the Himalayas then. Sundar Singh Bhandari had also said BJP was not a part of it. And that shiv sena and shiv sainiks were probably a part of it,” Uddhav Thackeray said.

Recalling the time when Balasaheb Thackeray had spoken about it, Thackeray said, “What an impotent leadership, Balasaheb had asked then. How will Hindutva flourish under such an impotent leadership? Shiv sainiks have protected dargahs as well.”

Attacking the BJP for its alleged cowardice, he said, “I feel sorry for the BJP leadership. For us, Hindutva is nationalism. BJP should clarify what Hindutva stands for.” Challenging the BJP, he said he can still show tapes of LK Advani’s interview in which he had talked about the people who brought the mosque down.

“Those who climbed on the dome were Marathi. They weren’t listening to anyone, Advaniji had said in his interview then. I had asked for a special law for Ram Temple but PM Modi didn’t pay any heed and the court later gave a judgment,” Uddhav said.

When asked about BJP’s damage control, he took a jibe at Eknath Shinde again claiming that the CM was fed a script by the BJP. “The reply must be getting typed at the BJP office, so let them respond first. Hindutva is a garb for them. Let people see their true colors from under the garb of Hindutva,” he said.

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