Kirit Somaiya says Shiv Sena using Hindutva to divert attention; 'Has no answer to scams'

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya on Sunday accused Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray of raking up the issue of 'Hindutva' to divert public attention from the alleged scams in his family. Reacting to Thackeray's fiery address at a Mumbai rally, Somaiya said the MVA government is embroiled in 26 scams but has no explanation for any.

Addressing a Shiv Sena public meeting in the capital on Saturday, the Maharashtra CM had stepped up the ante against Sena's former ally BJP and termed it as "a party which wore a mask of Hindutva." Attacking LoP and former state CM Devendra Fadnavis, Thackeray remarked that "Shiv Sena left that donkey two and a half years ago."

"Devendra Fadnavis said that our Hindutva is 'gadhadhari'. He is right, we left that gadha (donkey) two and a half years ago. After all, a donkey remains a donkey. We kicked some out before they could kick us," said the Sena chief.

The attacks came amid a tussle between the Sena and BJP over Hindutva and in the run-up to the highly anticipated civic polls in Mumbai, Thane, and Nagpur. 

Reacting to the taunts, BJP's Kirit Somaiya said, "Uddhav Thackeray has no courage. He has no answer to the scams in his family and is diverting the issue by raking up Hindutva issue". He vowed to publicize facts proving his allegations against the CM. 

"Half a dozen ministers in the MVA government are either in jail, on bail, or in the hospital. The CM's own wife is embroiled in a 19 bungalows scam. His sons Aadtiya and Tejas are involved in a money laundering case of Rs 7 crore. The ED has also attached properties worth Rs 6 crores belonging to his brother-in-law. The CM has no answer to these scams. We will make all accounts public in one month's time," said Somaiya. 

Shiv Sena locks horns with BJP, MNS over Hindutva

Earlier Uddhav Thackeray said that he would unmask all political rivals including the MNS and BJP over peddling a duplicate Hindutva ideology as Raj Thackeray raised the Hindutva pitch a few notches. 

MNS president Raj Thackeray and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had held rallies earlier targeting the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government as well as Shiv Sena’s Hindutva credentials. 

The MNS leaders and BJP ministers have been accusing the CM of having forgotten the ideals of party founder and his father Bal Thackeray.