"Muslim community backed our brand of Hindutva because...": Uddhav Thackeray

Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday asserted that the Muslim community backed their (Shiv Sena (UBT) brand of Hindutva which 'lights the stoves in their homes" and rejects that of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which "burns their homes." Addressing a gathering of Shiv Sena workers here, Thackeray said, "The Muslim community is coming with us. I ask them don't you know that I am the party chief of Shiv Sena and the son of a 'Hindu Hriday Samrat'. I am a staunch Hindu myself so why are you coming with me? They say that we have come to know that there is a difference between your Hindutva and the Hindutva of BJP. Your Hindutva burns the stove in our house and the Hindutva of the BJP burns the house," the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief said.

He further said that Ram is in our hearts and this is our Hindutva, and we are patriotic Hindus. Earlier, Thackeray said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government awarded the Bharat Ratna to former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur to lure voters from the eastern state in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

"Earlier there were rules on how many Bharat Ratna could be awarded and to whom and when they could be awarded. PM Narendra Modi is awarding it to whoever comes to his mind," Uddhav Thackeray said. He further said that he is happy that Karpoori Thakur is being acknowledged after so many years.

"I am not saying that whoever has been conferred with the Bharat Ratna is wrong. They need votes in Bihar that's why Bharat Ratna has been awarded to Karpoori Thakur," he added.