Mumbai, November 13, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has accused the BJP of attempting to provoke regional and linguistic tensions in Mumbai over Chhath Puja, alleging that the controversy is being used for political gains ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
In a strongly worded statement on Friday, Thackeray appealed to Marathi citizens and MNS workers, known as Maharashtra Sainiks, to exercise restraint and avoid what he described as a political trap designed to trigger confrontation.
His remarks come amid controversy over Bhojpuri songs being played through public announcement systems at several railway stations, including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Wadala. MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) workers had objected to the broadcasts.
Thackeray alleged that the issue was being amplified through a coordinated social media campaign to portray Chhath Puja as a cultural challenge and provoke a reaction from Marathi groups. He claimed the BJP was frustrated because the confrontation it allegedly wanted had not materialised.
Accusing the BJP of repeatedly exploiting social and regional divisions for electoral gains, he cited religious polarisation before Lok Sabha elections, caste tensions ahead of state polls and the kabutarkhana dispute during civic election campaigns.
Drawing an analogy with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s guerrilla warfare strategy, Thackeray urged party workers not to react impulsively or engage in confrontation on terms set by their political opponents.
“Do not take our restraint as a sign of cowardice,” he warned, saying the MNS would decide the timing and manner of its response.
He also addressed North Indian and Gujarati residents of Mumbai, cautioning them against being used as political pawns, while reiterating his position that Maharashtra belongs to the Marathas.
Beyond the Chhath Puja controversy, Thackeray accused the Centre and Maharashtra government of favouring a particular industrialist at the cost of the state’s interests. He alleged that Maharashtra’s natural resources, including forest land and parts of the Sahyadri mountain range, were being handed over, describing the situation as the state being “sold off piece by piece”.
He also questioned the Election Commission’s impartiality and claimed that youth-led Gen Z protests indicated the beginning of the BJP’s political decline at both the national and state levels.
Thackeray concluded by urging Marathi citizens to remain vigilant and united, while challenging the BJP to move away from what he described as divisive politics.
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