Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde attacks Uddhav Thackeray’s ‘Ram Raksha’ campaign

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde sharply criticized Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, asserting that Thackeray had long abandoned Hindutva and that “Hindutva is not a T‑shirt that can be put on or taken off at will.”

Shinde condemned Thackeray’s recent “Ram Raksha” movement, which the Shiv Sena launched across the state to protest alleged theft and financial irregularities linked to donations for the Ayodhya Ram Temple. He accused the campaign of being a political stunt for electoral gain, questioned why Thackeray invited leaders such as Mamata Banerjee, Sonia Gandhi, and Akhilesh Yadav instead of his own party members, and suggested he should have invited senior Congress and NCP leaders.

The deputy chief minister also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role in building the Ram Temple and highlighted national achievements such as hydrogen‑train projects and the Vikram rocket launch, contrasting these with Thackeray’s silence on such issues.