Uddhav Thackeray revealed his Hinduphobia yet again by targeting Prabhu Ram’s Pran Prathishta at Ayodhya. He said he would visit Nasik’s Kalaram Mandir during that day. The Kala Ram Temple in Nasik is dedicated to Prabhu Ram, and Shri Ram, his wife Mata Sita, and brother Lakshman were believed to have stayed there during their exile (‘Vanvaas’).

Thackeray takes a ‘casteist’ jibe?

On 6 January, the former Chief Minister of Maharashtra and leader of Shiv Sena (UBT), Uddhav Thackeray, announced that his party will conduct a ‘Maha Aarti’ on the banks of the Godavari River in Maharashtra’s Nasik on the Pran Prathishta day of the Ram Temple on 22 January.

Despite not receiving an invitation to the grand consecration ceremony, Thackeray stated, “We do not want to involve ourselves in the matter of who has or has not received an invitation.” He added, “During the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, we will participate by offering prayers at the Kala Ram Temple in Nasik. Simultaneously, we will host the party’s conference in Nasik on the same day.”

Praying and performing aarti at any Mandir across the country is the right of any citizen. He could have stopped by saying he would perform the aarti. It is his subsequent remark that unmasks his Hinduphobic side. “Dr Ambedkar and Sane Guruji fought temple entry rights here. They said Ram belongs to us too,” Thackeray remarked.

His remark implies he is trying to project Ayodhya as a Mandir of ‘Upper Castes’ and Kalaram Mandir as that of ‘common people’ in a reminder of Jitendra Awhad’s Shri Ram was a deity of ‘Bahujan’ remark. At a time when Hindu Samaj is set to celebrate the return of Prabhu Ram after 500 years, leaders like Thackeray and Awhad want to spoil the moment with their Hinduphobic comments.

Earlier Hinduphobic comments of Uddhav Thackeray

After forming Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and subsequently joining the Hinduphobic INDI alliance, Uddhav Thackeray has repeatedly made statements hurting Hindu sentiments. He has been constantly fear-mongering regarding a Godhra-like attack on devotees. Addressing an event in Jalgaon, the Shiv Sena (Uddhav camp) chief and former Maharashtra Chief Minister claimed that a “Godhra-like” incident could occur during the “return journey” of the large number of devotees expected to converge in Uttar Pradesh’s (UP) Ayodhya for the Pran Prathishta of the Ram Temple.

“It is a possibility that the government could invite a large number of people for the Ram Temple inauguration in buses and trucks, and on their return journey, an incident similar to that in Godhra may occur,” Thackeray asserted.

Here are some of Uddhav Thackeray’s Hinduphobic remarks after he joined hands with NCP and Congress to form MVA and, subsequently, the INDI alliance comprising numerous anti-Hindu parties like TMC, RJD and JD (U), among others.

Thackeray’s speech on 18 June 2023 criticized the Prime Minister (PM) and Home Minister (HM) during a conclave held to celebrate Shiv Sena Foundation Day. In his tirade against the PM, the former Maharashtra CM and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief mouthed Western propaganda equating the holy Hindu symbol to Nazi Hakenkreuz.

Thackeray echoed the Hindudveshi Jihadi language by resorting to the ‘gaumutra’ jibe while speaking at the Golibar Maidan in Ratnagiri’s Khed last March.

In December 2020, Thackeray made anti-Brahmin remarks under the guise of targeting the BJP. Speaking on the floor of the assembly, Uddhav Thackeray said, “Those who were earlier reading horoscopes have now begun to read books and reports”. This was apparently a jibe targeting the LoP (Leader of Opposition) Devendra Fadnavis, who is a Brahmin. Thackeray wanted to imply that Brahmins only read horoscopes.

In October 2020, while speaking at the annual Shiv Sena Dusshera Mela, Uddhav Thackeray alleged that BJP’s Hindutva is confined only to Gaumutra and Cow Dung. He further went on to say that BJP spews the same gaumutra and cow dung on others. Attacking further, “It is you and your clothes who reek smell of Gaumutra and Dung. What am I supposed to do?” he had remarked.

These are merely the remarks made by Thackeray, and we have not even accounted for the numerous anti-Hindu activities by MVA during his tenure as Maharashtra CM, including removing the saffron flags from ST buses and removing Shri Ram posters, among others. However, this time, he has fallen further lower than expectations, taking casteist digs at Bhagwan.