Uddhav Thackeray Lauds Mohan Bhagwat's Outreach To Muslim Leaders, Slams 'BJP's Hindutva'

Thackeray highlighted the meeting's focus on religious tensions and criticised BJP's hardliners for potentially opposing Bhagwat's outreach.

Uddhav Thackeray lauded RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's meeting with Muslim leaders as a vital step towards national unity and dialogue.

Source : IANS

Shiv Sena (UBT) supremo Uddhav Thackeray praised Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat for his recent outreach to Muslim scholars and intellectuals in Delhi. 

In a recent editorial in Saamana, the mouthpiece of Shiv Sena (UBT), backed RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s closed-door meeting with over 70 Muslim clerics and intellectuals. The piece, penned by party chief Uddhav Thackeray, describes the meeting as a significant step towards “nation-building” through meaningful dialogue.

According to the editorial, the three-hour meeting wasn’t just symbolic; it involved deep discussions around rising religious tensions in the country. Thackeray praised Bhagwat for attempting to understand the sentiments of the Muslim community, a move that, he noted, may not sit well with the BJP’s hardline Hindutva factions.

'Not Just Tea But Serious Introspection'

The Saamana editorial emphasised that the meeting wasn’t limited to pleasantries but included serious conversations on communal harmony. “In states like Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Maharashtra, and Delhi, some of the BJP’s new-age Hindutva leaders have recently created unrest in the name of religion. Such leaders are unlikely to approve of the RSS chief’s initiative,” the article read.

Thackeray, in a pointed jibe, said some of these leaders "known for their inflammatory rhetoric against Muslims might even consider resigning over this outreach."

'Move to Disenfranchise Minorities'

The editorial also accused the central government of attempting to divide the nation along religious lines. Thackeray alleged that there is an ongoing effort to strip Dalits, Christians, and Muslims of their voting rights, pointing to alleged voter list purges in states like Bihar and Maharashtra. He called this not the work of “great Hindutvavadis,” but of hypocrites.

'We’re All in the Same Boat'

Thackeray urged Bhagwat to continue this engagement, saying that all Indians—regardless of religion—share the same DNA. “If the social fabric of the nation sinks, it will take every community down with it,” the editorial warned. Thackeray concluded by calling Bhagwat’s effort a step in the right direction and said such initiatives deserve support.