Mumbai: Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray recently criticized the BJP-led government of India for its handling of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir following the revocation of Article 370 of the Indian constitution, which granted the region special status.
Although he initially supported the abrogation, Thackeray has now expressed concerns about the current conditions in the region. His party, Shiv Sena UBT, released an interview where he voiced these concerns.
“Target killing is still happening there. Kashmiri Pandits cannot return to the Valley. No one can buy land there. Elections are not happening. Kashmir has been divided into pieces. Leh-Ladakh separated. Jammu was separated, then why don’t you hold elections now?” he said.
He pointed out the BJP’s past alliance with Mehbooba Mufti, the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, challenging them to establish a stable government in the region after the revocation of Article 370.
Regarding the Uniform Civil Code, Thackeray said that Shiv Sena would participate in discussions and stressed the importance of equal law enforcement for all citizens. He accused the BJP of using the issue for political gains rather than genuinely striving for uniformity in laws.
He also criticized the BJP’s approach to addressing regional issues, urging them to take effective action in places like Manipur and banning cow slaughter across the country. He expressed his dismay over the Election Commission’s decision to grant the Shiv Sena party name and symbol to rival Eknath Shinde, asserting the importance of his grandfather’s legacy.
Furthermore, Thackeray called upon the President and Governor of Manipur to take a strong stance on the state’s affairs. In a scathing attack on the BJP-led NDA, he humorously remarked that the alliance had shrunk to only “three parties”: the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Income Tax, and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), implying an excessive use of investigative agencies against political opponents.
