Mahrashtra Navnirman Sena chief, Raj Thackeray, on Thursday, lashed out at the Jain community of Maharashtra for its demand to ‘impose’ meat ban in the state during their festival.

Speaking to the news agency ANI, Thackeray said that they (Jains) will not be allowed to ‘decide what will happen in Maharashtra.’

He said, ” the whole issue has been billed as Jains against Hindus. MNS will definitely support whoever wants to sell meat, wont follow meat ban. Tomorrow, Muslims will also make such conditions during Ramzan. So should we then close all shops during the month? This is just a vote-bank politics and only BJP will benefit from these vote bank tactics.”

जैनों के साम्राज्य को ध्वस्त करने में हमें ज्यादा वक्त नहीं लगेगा: शिवसेना

Thackeray also blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP President Amit Shah for the ’emboldened behaviour’ of the Jain community implying that these leaders’ Gujarati background may have given rise to the community’s demands to impose meat ban in Maharashtra.

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He added, “Gujarati people and Jains are feeling emboldened because of PM Modi and Amit Shah. Digambar Jains roam naked showing their body, if that is okay then why this meat ban?”

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The MNS chief was referring to Digambar Jain monks, who are known to wear no clothes as it’s considered to be a spiritual and religious practice for them in India.

He said that BJP stood for ‘Bhartiya Jantu (animal) Paksh.’

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Earlier on Thursday, Thackeray’s cousin and the of Shiv Sena chief, Uddhav Thackeray, had launched a scathing attack against the Jain community for their demands to impose meat ban.

Writing an editorial in the party’s mouthpiece, Saamna, he had warned that if ‘Jains don’t learn, I know how to bring their downfall.’

He had added, “Radical Muslims have Pakistan to take refuge in. Where will you go?”