Lok Sabha elections 2024: BJP's Hindutva regressive, our Hindutva is reformist, claims Uddhav Thackeray

Uddhav Thackeray. Pic/PTI

Amid ongoing Lok Sabha elections 2024, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday attacked the BJP claiming its Hindutva is "gaumutradhari" (regressive), while his party's Hindutva was reformist, reported news agency PTI.

Addressing a Lok Sabha elections 2024 rally in Kankavali in Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg district, his second this week, Thackeray accused the Centre of "looting" Maharashtra.

He said when INDIA alliance comes to power, he will ensure the lost glory of the state is reclaimed, reported PTI.

"BJP's Hindutva is gaumutradhari. Our Hindutva is reformist," Thackeray said.

His remarks come after Union Home Minister Amit Shah's blistering attack at Ratnagiri earlier in the day.

Shah had asked if the chief of the "nakli" Shiv Sena can mention freedom fighter and Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar in his speeches, reported PTI.

"What are you as Shiv Sena chief if you are ashamed of taking Savarkar's name. You are running a 'nakli' Shiv Sena. The real Shiv Sena is with (Chief Minister) Eknath Shinde," Shah said in a swipe at Thackeray, reported PTI.

Hitting back, Thackeray said Jana Sangh rpt Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mukherjee had tied up with Muslim League in the 1940s in Bengal, reported PTI.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi whether he would scrap the 50 per cent limit on reservations in the country, and asserted his party's Nyay guarantees will revolutionise the future course of politics, reported PTI.

Addressing a rally for Congress' Pune Lok Sabha seat candidate Ravindra Dhangekar, he said Maharashtra is a "Congress state" in terms of ideology and he loves to visit it.

If the Constitution is changed, India will be unrecognisable, the former Congress president said, reported PTI.

"Will Modi ji speak on whether he will scrap the 50 per cent cap on reservations in the country?" he asked.

Gandhi said his party was committed to carrying out a 'caste census' and reiterated it would remove the "artificial" 50 per cent cap on quotas, reported PTI.

This cap causes hardships to crores of people and will be "thrown out", he asserted.

"Our fight is to save the Constitution. Modiji, BJP and RSS are trying to destroy the Constitution, which was drafted by Babasaheb Ambedkar and reflects the ideologies of Mahatma Phule, Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Nehru," he said.

(With inputs from PTI)