Uddhav Thackeray mocks BJP over Delhi, Bihar poll debacles

Mumbai: Taking a dig at BJP over its confidence of winning the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election on its own, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday said the party was similarly confident of winning the Delhi and Bihar Assembly polls.

"They (the BJP) are dreaming of winning the BMC polls. These are the people who do not even know the lanes of Mumbai. They were very confident of winning the Delhi and Bihar Assembly polls as well. Were they able to hoist their party flag in those states?" Thackeray said at a gathering here on the occasion of birth anniversary of his father and Sena founder Bal Thackeray.

At present, the alliance of Shiv Sena-BJP controls the Mumbai civic corporation. Polls to the Mumbai civic body are scheduled in 2017. Thackeray further said that while there is a debate going on over intolerance in the country, Bal Thackeray was a person who fearlessly called himself a Hindu.

"We keep talking to Pakistan despite numerous provocations from their end. Do we have this thinking that they will get tired with talking and stop attacking us. These talks will get us nowhere," the Sena chief said.

"I do not support the Dadri incident at all. But Sawan Rathod was burnt in Pune by pouring petrol over him because he was a Hindu. Is this not intolerance?" he asked.

"Balasaheb used to say that we will not do injustice and will not tolerate injustice of any kind. This is Hindutva and nationalism. Our Shiv Sainik Ramesh Varunj gave up his own life to save people who were drowning in water. He did not see their religion. This is our nationalism," he said.

Varunj was swept away while trying to rescue three girls who fell into choppy sea near Bandra fort earlier this month. Also, earlier this month, 17-year-old Savan Rathod, a ragpicker, succumbed to burn injuries after he was allegedly set on fire by three persons suspecting him to be a vehicle battery thief in Pune.

"We do not want Hindus who can only ring temple bells. We want Hindus who teach terrorists a lesson," Thackeray said. He also said that his party will hoist its flag not only on the BMC but in Maharashtra as well.