Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray, while speaking at a public rally at Malegaon, said that if Hindus and Muslims came together, India would not only be a world power but would also make all nations bow before it.
Mr Thackeray clarified that his party was not communal as portrayed by other parties, but was only against traitors. “Pakistan is not the Thackeray family’s enemy.
It is the nation’s enemy and by virtue of that Pakistan is our enemy. We are not against patriotic Muslims,” he said.
Mr Thackeray’s comments are of particular significance as Malegaon, which is around 100 km from Nashik, is known to be communally sensitive. The city has witnessed many communal riots and two bomb blasts in the past. The city comprises mostly Muslim weavers and has thousands of powerlooms.
Speaking about rapes, he said that the home minister shamelessly announced in the Legislature about 1,700 rapes being committed in the state. “Women are not safe with this government,” he said. While discussing the IPL being held in Mumbai despite the drought, Mr Thackeray said he didn’t care how much money the politicians made by holding the IPL at such a time in the state and that his only concern was that drinking water should be provided to people in the state. Further, on Malega-on’s and north Maharas-htra’s drinking water and irrigation water issue, Mr Thackeray said that if Sena was voted to power, the party will build a dam over the Nar-Par River water which flows into Gujarat and use it for development through the Girna River.
He went on to add that Malegaon had been promised district status many years ago, but nothing had been done about it.