In Maharashtra’s cutthroat political arena, Shiv Sena (UBT)—led by former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray—has faced mounting accusations of abandoning its Hindutva roots for vote-bank appeasement. From Bal Thackeray’s fiery legacy of Hindu pride to today’s viral controversies, the party has veered into anti-Hindu rhetoric. This report spotlights eight major incidents between 2022 and 2025, drawn from public statements, videos, and social media backlash, especially amid the high-stakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections looming in January 2026.
1. Muslim Leader’s Ramayan Jab in Uddhav’s Presence (Jan 7, 2026)
During a Mumbai rally for the 2025 Maharashtra municipal elections, a Shiv Sena (UBT) Muslim woman leader declared on stage—with Uddhav Thackeray silently watching—”Why show Ramayan on TV? Show the Constitution instead.” The video exploded on social media, sparking outrage over Uddhav’s inaction. Netizens questioned if the once-pro-Hindu Shiv Sena had morphed into a platform for deriding sacred texts.
2. Sanjay Raut Rejects ‘Jai Shri Ram’ for ‘Jai Maharashtra’ (Mar 17, 2025)
Ahead of BMC polls, Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s firebrand MP, dismissed ‘Jai Shri Ram’ chants by BJP leaders, insisting Mumbai would only echo ‘Jai Maharashtra.’ “If someone says only ‘Jai Shri Ram’ will run here, that’s not true,” he said. Social media erupted, with users decrying the shift from Bal Thackeray’s Hindutva to what they called religious pandering.
3. Raut Likens Hindu Groups to Taliban (Mar 17, 2025)
In the same pre-election frenzy, Raut’s Saamana editorial compared Hindu organizations and Hindutva advocates to the Taliban. The viral clip drew sharp rebukes online, branding it an insult to Hindu nationalism—the very ideology Shiv Sena once championed. Critics highlighted the dangerous equivalence amid rising communal tensions.
4. Uddhav Dismisses Bhagavad Gita as ‘Thick Book’ (Nov 19, 2024)
A Facebook video captured Uddhav scoffing at queries about reading the Bhagavad Gita: “No, such thick books don’t suit me. Why should I read the Gita?” He contrasted this by praising a Quran gifted to him in Marathi, vowing to read it as a gesture of love from Muslims. The double standard ignited fury, with many invoking Bal Thackeray’s Hindu-first ethos.
5. ‘Hindu Hriday Samrat’ Title Dropped from Banners (Nov 19, 2024)
Raj Thackeray, addressing a rally in Kalyan Rural, slammed Uddhav for removing ‘Hindu Hriday Samrat’ from Bal Thackeray banners to woo Muslim votes. He alleged some hoardings even used Urdu phrases like “Janab Balasaheb Thackeray.” “Have you stooped this low for your gains?” Raj asked, amplifying claims of ideological betrayal.
6. UBT Spokesperson Questions Ram’s Ayodhya Birth (Oct 11, 2024)
Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sushma Andhare went viral on X, asking: “What proof is there that Lord Ram was born in Ayodhya? Were kar sevaks at his naming ceremony?” The remark wounded Hindu sentiments post-Ram Temple consecration, clashing with Shiv Sena’s historical role in the movement. Backlash accused her of mocking Hindu faith.
7. Uddhav Labels Hanuman Chalisa Reciters ‘Ghantadhari Hindus’ (Apr 25, 2022)
When MP Navneet Rana planned to recite Hanuman Chalisa outside Uddhav’s Matoshree residence, police arrested her. Uddhav retorted that such ‘ghantadhari Hindus’ (bell-ringing Hindus) needn’t teach his workers Hindutva, urging them to recite at home. The slur, amid lockdown-era tensions, fueled perceptions of state overreach against devotion.
8. Uddhav’s ‘Gomutra-Gobar’ Taunt at Critics (Apr 25, 2022)
On Dussehra, targeting BJP questioners, Uddhav quipped: “Those questioning our government have mouths full of gomutra and gobar. Their clothes are smeared with it—we’re clean.” Mocking cow urine and dung—revered in Hindu Ayurveda—drew ire for echoing leftist tropes against Hindu traditions.
These episodes paint a pattern: from silent nods to overt mockery, Shiv Sena (UBT) stands accused of diluting its Hindu core for alliances with Congress and NCP. As BMC polls near, Maharashtra voters grapple with whether Uddhav’s Shiv Sena still embodies Bal Thackeray’s unyielding legacy—or has it traded Hindutva for electoral calculus?
For millions of Hindus who once saw Shiv Sena as their unyielding shield under Bal Thackeray’s ‘Hindu Hriday Samrat’ banner, Uddhav’s era feels like a painful apostasy—trading sacred chants for secular slogans, Gita for Quran, and Ram’s birthplace for vote-bank proofs. This isn’t mere politics; it’s an assault on the soul of Sanatana Dharma, mocking our epics, rituals, and revered traditions like gomutra in Ayurveda. As Maharashtra heads to the polls, Hindus must awaken: reject this dilution of dharma, honor Balasaheb’s fire, and vote to restore a Sena that roars ‘Jai Shri Ram’ with conviction, not compromise.
Source: 8 घटनाएँ: हिंदुओं के खिलाफ उद्धव ठाकरे और शिवसेना (UBT) की हिंदू-घृणित राजनीति (वर्ष 2022 से 2025)
Mr UT would do better make an in-depth study of Hindu Sanatan Dharma. In case, just in case, he finds some other religion more religious, more tolerant and more benevolent than the Hindu religion, he better would go after it without hesitation. Spewing venom against the world’s oldest religion and the greatest one in the shadow of politics will land him to hate politics, conflicts and abandonment.
In this article and otherwise elsewhere too, it is commonly alleged that former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has been abandoning its Hindutva roots for Muslim vote-bank appeasement. This appears consistent with his and his party members speeches and actions. But none of the article I have ever seen that tries to probe and analyse the driving causes of this betrayel. Similarly, no reporter has ever probed the underlying causes of betrayals by Mamta Bannerjee , Lal Krishna Advani, and many more.
The dhimmi conversion and corresponding anti-Hindu nature of Thackeray clan and their party may have started in Bal Thackeray’s time itself and we should not reflexively exclude Bal Thackeray from any scrutiny. It’s nauseating to see Bal Thackeray’s deification and fawning by people who criticize Uddhav Thackeray’s anti-Hindu dhimmi behavior. This is just laziness and escapism.
Most of the instances mentioned demonstrate not only hate and animosity against Hindu dharm, but also the shallow and illogical nature of Uddhav Thackeray’s or Sanjay Raut’s utterances, and are also look quite comical in nature if you try to figure them out.
But, in my view, on our part there is also an urgent need to address the way we respond in return. I think we should:
1. Avoid deifing and holyfying things of logic and science like “Mocking cow urine and dung —revered in Hindu Ayurveda”
2. Resort to emotional appeal as a logical response like “insult to Hindu nationalism”, or “wounded Hindu sentiments”.
These kind of defenses actually work against the strengths of our civilization. They are the lame and the weakest part of our religions, and the strong and cynically weaponized part of radical Mohammadanism. They also mandatorily require a strong group approach. We will keep losing and will haunt us after that with the use of these instruments.