Uddhav Thackeray wants ‘Hindu nation’ to fight terror

Amid the ongoing tension in Kashmir, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said that India should be declared a ‘Hindu nation’ to resolve the terror threat that the country is facing. He also asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not been supporting Hindus in Kashmir.

In an interview given to the party mouthpiece, Saamana, Mr Thackeray spoke about various issues, including the Kashmir unrest, Amarnath yatra, ISIS threat and souring relations with Pakistan.

On the terror threat to the country, Mr Thackeray said that the only one way left to resolve it is declaring the country a Hindu nation. “There is no other option but to declare the country a Hindu nation. There’s enough of secularism. The secularism has hurt Hindu sentiments where are the secular people when the Hindus of this country are being targeted ” he asked in the first of the three-part interview in the Saamana.

He even lamented that BJP-ruled Kashmir is up in flames and asked the prime minister why he was not standing behind the Hindus there.

“Kashmir’s citizens are on the streets. Mobs of angry youths can be witnessed and they are voicing anti-national slogans. They have no fear of the law. The military and police are being attacked. The picture is very disturbing. I feel sad that the party which claims the legacy of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, who laid his life for Kashmir, is now ruling in Kashmir and from Delhi while such untoward incidents are taking place,” he added.

Attacking the PM, Mr Thackeray said, “Our Prime Minister goes to states when polls are around the corner. He had visited Kashmir as well. But why is the Prime Minister not standing firmly behind the Hindu brothers in Kashmir today He has military, police and supreme power. If one takes over his responsibility, then things in the country would function smoother.”

Praising the Shiv Sena for opposing Pakistani players and artists, Mr Thackeray asked what Hindu leaders from other parties are doing. “The Hindus who died in Kashmir are just like us. What are the Hindus from other parties doing Are they ashamed of calling themselves Hindus I would say that the Hindus in the country should come together, at least to fight the terrorists,” he said.