Bala Saheb Thackeray – the founder of Shiv Sena must be rolling in his metaphorical grave watching the current state of the party that he built from the ground up for the cause of Hindutva. Reportedly, the success of the movie ‘The Kashmir Files’, which showed the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits in a visceral and uncensored manner has not gone down well with Sena which has termed it as a ploy by the BJP to create another fake narrative. Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna recently carried an editorial piece where Congress, its coalition partner in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was advised to fight BJP by countering the narrative on Kashmiri Pandits and the Hijab ban.
Saamna or National Herald?
If one was handed the article without the name of publication, the said individual could be forgiven for thinking it was penned by Congress mouthpiece National Herald.
One of the paragraphs of the editorial read as follows, “BJP’s cyber army creates fake narratives. BJP leaders put forth [such narratives] in Bengal and Maharashtra, but couldn’t make them work. Even Akhilesh Yadav [in Uttar Pradesh] fought well against BJP,”
It later targeted the Vivek Agnihotri directed movie by stating, “But the Congress is unable to fight these fake narratives. The Congress and others should now learn to create narratives the way it is done by creating issues around the hijab row or spreading fake propaganda through films like ‘The Kashmir Files’.”
Read More: Shiv Sena’s Hindu Party claims fail the most basic “Hinduism Checks”
Kashmiri Pandits quit Kashmir due to BJP: Sena in Saamna
Instead of showing solidarity with the Kashmiri Pandits, Sena in the article was busy suggesting fake narrative points to Congress to mock the pain and sufferings of the Pandits.
The editorial read that the Congress should say Kashmiri pandits had to quit the Kashmir Valley when the VP Singh government, supported by the BJP, was in power and that Jagmohan Malhotra, who was close to the BJP, was the governor of Kashmir. The editorial remarked, “This truth should be told,”
On the other hand, it is prominently known that the Kashmiri Pandit’s genocide was a pre planned barbarous act, and why did then CM Abdullah resigned when the situation allegedly went out of his hands.
Read More: The Kashmir Files sets liberal posteriors on fire
Only Gandhis can lead Congress and G23 is useless: Saamna
Adhering completely to National Herald’s journalistic line, the tabloid magazine also claimed that Congress can only be led by Gandhis — despite the debacle in the 5 assembly elections suggesting otherwise. The editorial also slammed the G-23 leaders, saying they were “useless”.
For the last couple of years, it has been the G23 leaders of Congress that have been the sole voice of reason within the party. However, the top Gandhi brass has neuteralised them by using their power, and now allies like Shiv Sena are only feeding the ego of the party.
Read More: Congress dissidents tear into Rahul Gandhi for his juvenile remarks on China and PM Modi
Shiv Sena and its left-liberal transformation
Ever since Congress and Shiv Sena came together and Uddhav Thackeray started running the coalition government, the left-liberal intelligentsia has co-opted Shiv Sena.
The party that once stood for the cause of Hindus has become divisive, polarised, and to a certain extent, an Islamist apologist party. 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.
The Shiv Sena, under its alliance partners, has been working overtime to project itself as a secular party, standing in steadfast opposition to the BJP’s nationwide Hindutva push. However, Hindus, the core voters of the party are increasingly becoming disenchanted and if the trend continues, BJP may ditch the baggage which Sena has become altogether, in the next assembly elections.