NEW DELHI: The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Thursday called for India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, to be conferred upon the late Hindu nationalist leader. The demand came on 99th birth anniversary of Shiv Sena founder. Speaking at the memorial at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, senior leader Sanjay Raut targeted the BJP-led government for awarding the honour to undeserving individuals in the past decade while neglecting Thackeray.
“But the man who truly sowed the seeds of Hindutva in the country must also be given the Bharat Ratna. Why has he not been given Bharat Ratna? ‘Hindu-hriday Samrat’ Bal Thackeray must be honoured with the award. This is Shiv Sena (UBT)’s demand,” Raut said.
He urged the government to announce the award before Thackeray’s centenary next year. “Before the centenary starts, it is necessary that he gets the Bharat Ratna. You could not give the Bharat Ratna to Veer Savarkar. If you give Bharat Ratna to Bala-saheb, it will also be an honour for Veer Savarkar,” Raut added.
Mumbai South MP and party leader Arvind Sawant echoed the demand, pointing out Thackeray’s impact on Hindutva. “The government (at the Centre) which calls itself pro-Hindutva must honour him with Bharat Ratna. We strongly demand this,” he said.
Raut also delivered strong rebukes on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah for paying homage to Thackeray on social media while allegedly undermining his legacy. “PM Modi and Amit Shah tried to break the party and now they are tweeting to wish him on his birthday. If people like Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis pay tribute to Balasaheb Thackeray on Twitter (X), then it is the biggest hypocrisy. Shiv Sena is the life of Balasaheb Thackeray, 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 common people like us leaders. He never held any position. What did the BJP do? They broke the party for their interest.”
Taking a swipe at the rival Shiv Sena faction led by Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, Raut compared it to “Chinese firecrackers.” “There are counterfeit medicines, clothes in the market…There are Chinese crackers. They don’t burst but there are only sparks. Such products are being brought by the BJP,” he said.
He affirmed that the real Shiv Sena remains at Matoshri, the residence of Uddhav Thackeray in Bandra. “The real Shiv Sena is at ‘Matoshri,’” Raut said.
