Nagpur: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday took a sharp political swipe at Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray over the latter’s Ram Raksha programme in Nagpur, saying he was “happy that he has returned to Lord Ram.”
Speaking to reporters, Fadnavis said, “I am happy that Uddhav Thackeray has realised that ‘Jo Ram ka nahin, woh kisi kaam ka nahin.’ I congratulate him for returning to Lord Ram.” He added that while organising a Ram Raksha recital is a welcome initiative, he hoped the event would remain an expression of faith rather than becoming a platform for politics.
The remarks came after Uddhav Thackeray addressed the ‘Ramraksha Maha Aarti’ in Nagpur, where he accused the BJP of using Lord Ram for political purposes and raised questions over donations collected for the Ayodhya Ram Temple. During his speech, Thackeray said the country needed a “BJP-free Ram” and asserted that true devotees were committed to protecting Lord Ram’s ideals rather than using them for political gain.
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The Ram Raksha event has sparked a fresh political confrontation in Maharashtra, with BJP leaders accusing Thackeray of attempting to revive his Hindutva image ahead of future elections. Senior BJP leaders claimed that the public recitation of the Ram Raksha Stotra was aimed at reconnecting with the party’s traditional Hindu support base.
The programme also attracted considerable political attention after Shiv Sena (UBT) invited Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and senior RSS functionaries to attend the event, underscoring its symbolic and political significance.
The exchange marks the latest chapter in the ongoing political battle between the BJP-led Mahayuti government and Shiv Sena (UBT), with both parties once again placing Hindutva and Lord Ram at the centre of Maharashtra’s political discourse.
