- Since Congress and Shiv Sena came together and Uddhav Thackeray started running the coalition government, the Bollywood intelligentsia has co-opted Shiv Sena.
- Reciprocating the necessities of Shiv Sena, a story in Saamna extensively quoted and praised Javed Akhtar.
- Saamna has described the address of Javed Akhtar as a true tribute to Veer Savarkar.
- Praise to Javed Akhtar, who has repeatedly criticized Savarkar and Hindutva, is a sure-shot deal-breaker that the Maharashtrian voters and Shiv Sena enjoyed so far.
- Uddhav Thackeray seems to be under the illusion that the Shiv Sena’s political fortunes can withstand the immense damage being caused due to silly statements from his end and his attempt to take the party from pro-Hindutva to pro-Marathi manus.
Since Congress and Shiv Sena came together and Uddhav Thackeray started running the coalition government, the Bollywood intelligentsia has co-opted Shiv Sena. The famous families of Bollywood including Akhtar – earlier a staunch opponent of the party – have started praising the party.
So far, Shiv Sena has not appreciated or reciprocated the generosity (at least not publicly), but now it is using Saamna (the party newspaper) to do the same. Reciprocating the necessities of Shiv Sena, a story in Saamna extensively quoted and praised Javed Akhtar. In a literary conference at Nashik, Javed Akhtar said, “Everyone who is afraid to speak, you write that thing, it was so dark and never wrote the night before.”
Saamna has described the address of Javed Akhtar as a true tribute to Veer Savarkar. Quotes of Veer Savarkar have been mentioned before independence. It has been written that Javed Akhtar is leading in the same way today.
In the conference, Javed Akhtar added that I ask all Marathi writers to give their opinion freely on every issue while getting freedom from hostage. Of course, a lot of problems are present in front of us right now, but we have to go beyond all these and show our impunity. He also said that Kalamkars have played a decisive role in strengthening the democracy of any country. The importance of writers cannot be underestimated.
Maharashtra Govt under leadership of CM Uddhav Thackray needs to be congratulated for handling the Covid 19 with clear directives. My salute .
— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) April 4, 2020
Previously, during the Coronavirus period, Javed Akhtar praised the MVA government. “Maharashtra Govt under leadership of CM Uddhav Thackray needs to be congratulated for handling the Covid 19 with clear directives. My salute,” tweeted Akhtar during the COVID wave along with other Bollywood celebrities in a PR effort of the Uddhav Thackeray led MVA government.
Praise to Javed Akhtar, who has repeatedly criticized Savarkar and Hindutva, is a sure-shot deal-breaker that the Maharashtrian voters and Shiv Sena enjoyed so far. In the last two years, Shiv Sena has taken many ‘secular’ decisions that will irk the Marathi voters.
Previously, at the Dussehra Mela, Uddhav Thackeray in his condescending tone towards the BJP and Hindus at large, said, “Those who cast aspersions on our government, themselves have their mouths filled with cow-dung and Gaumutra. They have been trying to sling cow-dung at us, in a desperate hope that it will stick but it did not because we are clean. It is them whose mouth and clothes reek of Gaumutra and cow-dung.” The Chief Minister did not even spare late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, and shockingly said, “Those crying for justice for Bihar’s son are indulging in character assassination of Maharashtra’s son.” Whether he was referring to his son no less is not yet clear.
Read More: Shiv Sena has officially dropped Hindutva as Uddhav mocks Hindu sensitivities with Gaumutra jibe
Uddhav Thackeray seems to be under the illusion that the Shiv Sena’s political fortunes can withstand the immense damage being caused due to silly statements from his end and his attempt to take the party from pro-Hindutva to pro-Marathi manus. However, the political history of the party shows that did not expand outside the Mumbai region until it adopted Hindutva, and given today’s political environment, it will not succeed in any region of the state. Marathi people will not take the insult of comparing an anti-national to one of the greatest freedom fighters of the country and an icon of today’s political fulcrum of the country.
Saamna’s praise of people like Javed Akhtar would cost heavily to the party and it will be voted out of BMC in 2022 and out of the state by the next assembly election.