Nagpur: Revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Saturday dismissed Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray’s newly announced ‘Ram Raksha Andolan’ against the alleged Ram temple cash misappropriation, saying the campaign was a politically motivated attempt to revive his image and reconnect with Hindutva supporters.Speaking to reporters, Bawankule added that Thackeray’s renewed emphasis on Ram Raksha and Lord Ram won’t help him regain the lost political ground.The BJP leader questioned Thackeray’s Hindutva credentials, referring to the consecration of the Ayodhya Ram temple. He said Maharashtra had closely watched whether Thackeray would attend the event, but he chose to stay away. “The decision reflected Shiv Sena (UBT)’s political compromise with Congress and a shift away from its traditional Hindutva stand,” he said.Bawankule recalled the controversy involving former MP Navneet Rana, who spent 14 days in jail during Maha Vikas Aghadi govt after reciting Hanuman Chalisa. “People have seen the stand Thackeray took at that time,” he said. He added Thackeray’s campaigns will not succeed as party had ideologically aligned itself with Congress.
