Shiv Sena took a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over right-wing groups taking out a march against love-jihad and questioned the need for such a protest when the so-called Hindutvavadi government is in power at the Centre and Maharashtra.
According to a report of PTI, in an editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamana, the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena said BJP plays its trump card whenever it feels jolts of defeat. Now they have begun the game of playing the Hindu-Muslim card, it said.
Activists of right-wing organisations on Sunday took out a Hindu Jan Akrosh Morcha in Mumbai against love jihad and demanded anti-conversion laws and a crackdown on land grabbing in the name of religion. Leaders and workers of outfits including the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Bajrang Dal, and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) marched in the rally.
There is a so-called fierce Hindutvavadi government in the state as well at the Centre. Then how come your (the ones who took out the rally) Hindutva is in danger? With Modi-Shah at the Centre, there is a Ramrajya and this state is a heaven for Hindus this is what their (supporters of the BJP) people say. So it is surprising that there was still the Aakrosh morcha (rally), it said.
If there is a question of love-jihad or forced conversion then there should be a strong law. But whenever elections are around the corner there is a talk of Hindutva being in danger in BJP-ruled states, it said. If the Aakrosh morcha was just for elections, then it is dishonesty towards Hindutva, it said. It also took a dig at the BJP-led Centre, saying conferring Padma Vibhushan on Maulana Mulayam Singh, the late Samajwadi Party patriarch, is an insult to sacrifices of thousands of karsevaks of the Ram Mandir movement.