Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray questioned the Election Commission of India whether Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's call for "dharma-yuddh of votes" violated the Model Code of Conduct.
Addressing a poll rally in Thane's Dombivli ahead of the November 20 assembly polls in the state, the former CM said he was asked to remove the words "Jai Bhavani, Jai Shivaji" from his party's election anthem before the Lok Sabha elections, but he refused to do so.
"Devendra Fadnavis has given a call for "dharma-yudh of votes. I am asking the Election Commission, does dharma-yudh fit in with your Model Code of Conduct?" he said.
On Friday, Fadnavis called for a "dharma-yudh of votes" during a rally in Pune to counter a purported appeal by an Islamic scholar for a "vote-jihad" against the Mahayuti government in the state.
Further attacking the BJP, Thackeray said the Bharatiya Janata Party today is a "hybrid" full of opportunist leaders imported from outside.
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"The BJP that grew due to the sacrifices of its workers who dedicated their lives to the organisation has now become a hybrid, a breeding ground for opportunistic politics," he said.
The former BJP ally who parted ways in 2019 said the vision of late BJP stalwarts like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Pramod Mahajan and Gopinath Munde has been undermined by the current leadership.
Drawing a contrast between his vision of Hindutva and the BJP's, he said, "Our Hindutva lights stoves in people's houses; the BJP's Hindutva burns them down."
Thackeray also expressed his concern over the "Gujarati-Marathi divide." Thackeray accused the BJP-led Union government of prioritizing corporate interests.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief alleged widespread corruption under the rule of BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. He accused both parties of looting municipal corporations in Thane district.