india

Updated: Apr 22, 2019 06:53 IST

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said his party doesn’t consider anybody an “enemy” based on religion. In a rally in Dharavi, Thackeray invoked nationalism and patriotism to counter the Congress over its poll promise to repeal the sedition law.

Dharavi is part of the Mumbai South Central constituency, where Sena’s Rahul Shewale is contesting against Congress’s Eknath Gaikwad.

Thackeray questioned if Congress-NCP voters agree with the removal of sedition law. Thackeray’s attack came after the Congress released its manifesto for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, which promised to scrap the sedition law if it comes back to power, among others. “Is this acceptable to you?” Uddhav asked the crowd.

He expressed confidence that the NDA will come to power and it will deal with sedition in the strictest way possible.

Thackeray took on the Opposition parties for lack of leadership, vision and a PM candidate. He attacked the Congress and added that the people of the country have not forgotten its string of scams.

Dharavi constituency has a sizable Marathi population. Along with that, there are Dalits, Muslims and North Indian and Tamilians in the constituency.

Uddhav added that not all Muslims are jumping on the bandwagon of AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi. “Not all Muslims are with Owaisi. I challenge Owaisi to ask the Muslims of Dharavi who has stood beside them. It has been Shiv Sainiks,” he said. He said his party does not discriminate on the basis of caste, creed and religion. “ Our policy is not to discriminate on the basis of caste, creed and religion. We are not considering anybody an enemy on the basis of their religion. It’s a fight between two nations, not two religions, he said.

The Sena chief said he is confident the Sena-BJP government will speed up the Dharavi redevelopment project. “Unlike the previous governments which did only surveys worth crores, we have quickened the pace of the project. I am confident that I will soon come for the bhoomipujan of the project” he said