BJP stoking social divisions over Chhath Puja: Aaditya Thackeray

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Friday launched a sharp attack against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday accusing the party of deliberately instigating social and linguistic disputes in Maharashtra—specifically citing ongoing controversies surrounding Chhath Puja—to distract citizens from administrative and economic issues.

In his statement, Thackeray alleged that the ruling party is employing a calculated strategy to keep communities divided while benefiting its favoured associates.

"They want to keep us fighting while they keep eating," Thackeray wrote, urging citizens to recognise what he described as a political ploy.

Thackeray claimed that when communities are not kept occupied with disputes over religion, caste, or language—such as Hindu-Muslim tensions, Marathi versus non-Marathi friction, or dietary controversies—the public is kept entangled in administrative and financial matters like UPI merchant charges, Aadhaar, and Special Intensive Revision (SIR) processes.

He accused the BJP of manufacturing controversies like the Chhath Puja row to secure a "free hand to loot the Sahyadri of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj".

He asserted that while his party remains committed to protecting Maharashtra's interests and self-respect, it will not fall into a political trap set by its opponents.

Addressing devotees and communities observing Chhath Puja directly, Thackeray cautioned them against becoming pawns in electoral politics.

He stated that the BJP currently requires their support for votes and social polarisation, urging both Marathi speakers and North Indian observers to remain alert and avoid getting drawn into manufactured conflicts.

Thackeray called for collective resistance against the current administration and warned that any BJP-backed elements attempting to disrupt social harmony would be held accountable at the appropriate time.

Thackeray’s remarks come amid heightened political rhetoric in Mumbai and across Maharashtra regarding Chhath Puja celebrations.

Earlier on Friday, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray issued a similar warning, alleging that the BJP was exploiting the Chhath Puja row and utilising social media campaigns to provoke a Marathi–North Indian divide in Mumbai ahead of upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh.

Both leaders have urged their respective party workers and the wider public to exercise restraint and avoid escalating tensions on the ground.

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