Aaditya Thackeray Accuses BJP of Fomenting Conflict Over Chhath Puja

Aaditya Thackeray has accused the BJP of creating a controversy over Chhath Puja to incite conflict between communities, using it as a distraction from urgent issues such as inflation and rising unemployment in Maharashtra.

Aaditya Thackeray Accuses BJP of Fomenting Conflict Over Chhath Puja

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 15 (ANI): Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Friday accused the BJP of attempting to create a controversy over Chhath Puja celebrations in Maharashtra, asserting that the ruling party is seeking to foment conflict between Marathi and non-Marathi communities by describing the move as "BJP-sponsored." Speaking to reporters, Thackeray further alleged that the party is exploiting tensions between Marathi and non-Marathi communities to divert public attention away from pressing issues such as inflation, pollution, water scarcity, and rising unemployment. "There is no controversy. Those who wish to stir up controversy want to see conflict within Maharashtra—conflict involving the Marathi-speaking community and non Marathi-speaking community ... It is BJP-sponsored. Their goal is to divert our attention away from pressing issues like inflation, pollution, water scarcity, and rising unemployment... The only caveat is that no one should impose their own festivals on others—that is a principle everyone should respect..." said Thackeray.

Thackeray's remarks came after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to create social and cultural tensions in Mumbai by using Chhath Puja as an issue and urged the public not to fall into their trap. He also alleged that the party was trying to provoke a conflict between Marathi and North Indian communities ahead of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. In a post on X, Thackeray alleged that the BJP and the social media ecosystem it had nurtured were making every possible effort to create discord in Maharashtra by circulating reels related to Chhath Puja and what he described as cultural aggression in its name. Appealing to Marathi people not to get drawn into the conflict, Thackeray invoked the guerrilla warfare tactics of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, saying Maharashtra should not fight on a battlefield chosen by the BJP. "There is no need for us to fight on the battlefield they have chosen. That is not Maharashtra's way either. They may have forgotten Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's guerrilla warfare tactics, but we must remember them. We will decide when, how and in what manner to respond through guerrilla tactics. We must certainly not fall into the trap they have laid simply because it serves their interests," he said.

Raj Thackeray's remarks come two days after a dispute flared up over Bhojpuri songs being played at certain Mumbai railway stations ahead of the celebrations. In the backdrop of this controversy, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s daughter Rohini Acharya accused Raj Thackeray of trying to disparage the culture of Bihar. Speaking to ANI, she asserted that such elements pop up every year around Chhath Puja solely to grab media attention and stay relevant. "Who is this Raj Thackeray, and which leaders are supporting him? Who even knows him? Just as frogs emerge during the rainy season, certain anti-social elements surface during Chhath, seeking to disparage the culture and faith of Bihar. They aren't even worth paying attention to. They pop up every year around the time of Chhath solely to grab media attention and stay relevant. Regardless, may Chhathi Maiya grant them wisdom—may she help them cleanse their minds of the filth and hatred they harbor... A day will come when Raj Thackeray and others like him—these anti-social elements—will also celebrate this festival with great enthusiasm," said Acharya. (ANI)