Mumbai: Sushma Andhare, an Ambedkarite leader who has become a crowd-puller due to her fiery oratory ever since she joined Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT), is facing the heat over a speech that she made 13 years ago.
After the BJP attacked Andhare over her remarks on saints and Hindu gods, the Warkari and Mahanubhav sects followed suit. The Mahanubhav sect has threatened to undertake a drive across the state to ask people to boycott the Shiv Sena (UBT). Vishwa Warkari Sangh leader Tukaram Chaure has demanded that cases be registered against the Sena leader while the Warkari Fadkari Dindi Samaj Sanghatna has written to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, asking for action against her.
Andhare is also drawing flak from the Shinde faction and BJP over the way she has been attacking their government on various issues. Her speeches have become popular and have thousands of views on YouTube.
Andhare apologised for her statement in a media conference in Pune late on Wednesday. “I apologise for hurting the sentiments of the warkari sect,” she said, adding, however, that she was being targeted out of political vendetta and that outfits allied to the BJP were behind the protests. “I belong to the Warkari sect, as my parents participate in the Pandharpur wari and I follow the teachings of great saints. What I said was from their teachings,” she said.
BJP leader Ashish Shelar demanded answers from Uddhav Thackeray. “Thackeray parted ways with Hindutva and joined hands with the Congress, NCP and Samajwadi Party,” he said. “He inducted Andhare, who is a known anti-Hindu leader. We want Thackeray to make it clear whether he supports Andhare on her stand related to saints. Will she be sacked from the party or not?”
There has been no official reaction from Sena the (UBT) yet.