Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat over his recent remark that insistence on language and agitations around it amounted to a disease.
“If love for one’s language and love for one’s state appear to Bhagwat as a disease, then we wish to point out to him that this disease exists in a majority of states in this country,” Thackeray said in a post on social media platform X.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) too tore into Bhagwat and the RSS on Tuesday via its mouthpiece Saamana and alleged the RSS was the BJP’s partner in rampant corruption and unconstitutional activities.
In an editorial titled ‘Sarsanghchalakanche Lecture’ (Lecture by RSS chief), Saamana accused the BJP of using money power, breaking political parties and controlling constitutional institutions like the judiciary, and the election commission. The RSS had been captured by the same people now, the editorial said.
Bhagwat made the comments while speaking on the second day of a two-day conclave in the city on February 7-8 to mark the RSS’ centenary.
Referring to the presence of eminent personalities at the event, Raj Thackeray said they had not attended the event out of admiration for the RSS chief.
“I want to tell Mohanrao Bhagwat one thing clearly: none of those people came there out of love for you; they came due to fear of the Narendra Modi government. Otherwise, why has anyone never attended such dull, monotonous sermons of yours in the past?”
Bhagwat was a speaker at the two-day conclave in the city on February 7-8 to mark the RSS’ centenary. Referring to his remarks on agitations over language-related issues, Thackeray said, “From Karnataka to Tamil Nadu in the south, there are strong linguistic and regional identities. The same sentiment exists in West Bengal, Punjab, and even Gujarat…Has Bhagwat ever tried to truly understand what this sentiment actually is?”
Bhagwat finds courage to speak the way he did not because the Marathi people are tolerant, but because those in power have weak spines, Thackeray said.
“A few months ago, on the eve of elections, Bhaiyyaji Joshi tried to provoke Marathi people by saying that the language of Mumbai is not only Marathi but also Gujarati, and attempted to woo Gujarati-speaking voters. All this was done to see how the BJP could benefit indirectly,” he remarked.
The RSS did not react to Thackeray’s remarks. RSS spokesperson L Nakashe refused to comment on the subject, saying Bhagwat’s word was always final.