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Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Deepak Kesarkar has claimed that Muslims voters were convinced that Uddhav Thackeray had forsaken the Hindutva ideology, leading to their stellar performance in the Mumbai region. Kesarkar, a loyalist of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, attributed Shiv Sena (UBT)'s victory to “fatwas” issued by Muslim religious leaders.
According to Kesarkar, the fatwas helped Shiv Sena (UBT) win seats in Mumbai. He claimed that if the fatwas had not been issued, every Shiv Sena candidate would have been defeated by over 1-1.5 lakh votes.
Kesarkar's claims have been met with criticism from political analysts, who argue that there is no evidence to support his assertions. They point out that Shiv Sena (UBT) has a strong base in Mumbai, and that the party's victory in the region is more likely due to its long-standing connection with the Marathi-speaking community.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is in alliance with Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, has also distanced itself from Kesarkar's comments. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said that the party does not endorse Kesarkar's views, and that the BJP believes in the Constitution of India and the rule of law.
The controversy over Kesarkar's remarks highlights the ongoing tensions within the Shiv Sena following the split between Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde.** The two factions of the party have been locked in a bitter legal battle over the party's name and symbol, and their rivalry is likely to continue in the run-up to the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections.
In the meantime, Kesarkar's comments have sparked a debate about the role of religion in Indian politics. Some commentators have argued that Kesarkar's remarks are a sign of the growing influence of Hindutva in Indian society, while others have condemned his comments as divisive and dangerous.