Shiv Sena (UBT) chief and former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has launched a sharp political offensive against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of being motivated purely by power rather than ideology, as campaigning intensifies ahead of the crucial Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.

In an interview to a regional media channel on Thursday, Thackeray rejected the BJP’s repeated assertion of being a pro-Hindutva party, claiming that its actions were driven by opportunism and an obsession with remaining in power.

“BJP is not a Hindutva party; it is a party obsessed with power,” Thackeray said, alleging that the party was willing to align with anyone to secure political control. He claimed that the BJP’s ideological positioning was merely a façade and accused it of abandoning principles whenever it suited its interests.

Drawing a historical comparison, Thackeray referred to the role of the Jan Sangh during the United Maharashtra movement, alleging that it joined late and exited first after its objectives were met. He likened the BJP’s political expansion to a “single-celled amoeba” that seeks to absorb everything around it.

Attack on alliances and governance

Thackeray took a dig at the BJP’s political alliances, referring to its tie-up with AIMIM in the Akot Municipal Council as “BJP’s Love Jihad”. He also alleged that BJP leaders preached Hindutva publicly while privately acting otherwise, adding that civic elections should focus on governance rather than communal narratives.

“The issue in the Municipal Corporation is not Hindu versus Muslim. It is about administration and governance,” he said.

Expressing concern over the prevailing political environment, Thackeray described the upcoming BMC elections as being fought under “strange circumstances”, alleging a decline in Maharashtra’s political culture.

“There was a time when wrongdoing carried shame. Today, people openly flaunt it,” he remarked, claiming that the state’s tradition of civil political conduct had been severely damaged.

Marathi identity and Mumbai’s future

Reiterating his party’s stand on Mumbai’s identity, Thackeray asserted that the city’s mayor would be a Marathi person. He questioned attempts to impose Hindi and other languages on Mumbai, reacting strongly to recent remarks about linguistic dominance in certain suburbs.

“Who decides what language Ghatkopar speaks?” he asked, criticising BJP leaders for making such claims.

He also accused the current Maharashtra administration of burdening Mumbai with a debt of ₹3 lakh crore and alleged large-scale misuse of the city’s resources.

Highlighting concerns of the local population, Thackeray claimed that Marathi people were increasingly facing discrimination in their own city, including denial of housing and criticism of food habits.

“The Marathi person integrates wherever he goes. But today, others are coming into our home and trying to dominate us,” he said, alleging that political arrogance had grown due to power being concentrated in Delhi.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday chaired a high-level security review meeting on Jammu and Kashmir and directed security agencies to continue counter-terror operations in a “mission mode” to eliminate terrorism from the Union Territory at the earliest.

During the meeting, Shah said operations targeting terrorist infrastructure and terror financing must remain focused and sustained. He assured that all necessary resources would be made available to achieve the goal of a terror-free Jammu and Kashmir.

Focus on coordination and vigilance

Chairing the review, the home minister asked all security agencies to remain alert and work in close coordination to ensure that the security gains achieved after the abrogation of Article 370 are maintained. He emphasised that synergy among agencies is essential to prevent any resurgence of terror activities.

The meeting was attended by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Kumar Deka, and the Union Territory’s chief secretary and director general of police. Senior officers, including the heads of Central Armed Police Forces, were also present.

Government reiterates zero tolerance against terrorism

Appreciating the efforts of security forces, Shah said consistent and coordinated action had significantly weakened the terror ecosystem in the region. He reiterated the government’s zero tolerance policy against terrorism and underlined its commitment, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to ensuring lasting peace in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to an official statement, the home minister noted that sustained efforts by security agencies have helped improve the overall security scenario in the Union Territory and stressed the need to continue on the same path.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday visited the residence of Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) chief Pratik Jain amid ongoing searches by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), triggering a major political confrontation in Kolkata.

Banerjee reached Jain’s house around noon, shortly after Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma arrived at the location. She remained there for nearly 20 to 25 minutes before stepping out with a green folder, alleging that the central agency was attempting to seize sensitive digital data and internal documents belonging to the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

Addressing reporters outside the residence, the chief minister claimed that the ED raid targeted the party’s IT cell and involved the confiscation of hard disks, mobile phones, laptops and documents related to candidate selection and internal election strategy.

“ED raided my IT sector office and searched the residence of the in-charge of my IT sector. They were confiscating my party’s documents and hard disks which have details about our assembly election candidates. I have brought those back,” Banerjee said.

She described the searches as politically motivated and unconstitutional, alleging that central agencies were being used to intimidate opposition parties ahead of elections.

Banerjee accuses Amit Shah of political vendetta

Escalating her attack, Banerjee targeted Union Home Minister Amit Shah, accusing him of misusing constitutional institutions for political purposes.

“This is not law enforcement, this is political vendetta. The home minister is behaving like the nastiest home minister, not someone who protects the country,” she alleged.

The chief minister also claimed that ED officials attempted to take away a laptop from the premises and were selectively collecting political data. She further alleged that names of more than 15 lakh voters from West Bengal had been deleted from electoral rolls without proper explanation.

Meanwhile, searches were also conducted at the office of I-PAC, the political consultancy firm headed by Jain, as part of the same operation.

What the ED said

In an official statement, the ED rejected the allegations and clarified that the searches were evidence-based and not directed at any political party or office.

“Search is ongoing at 10 places — six in West Bengal and four in Delhi. The case relates to illegal coal smuggling. The search covers various premises linked to generation of cash and hawala transfers,” the agency said.

The ED maintained that the action was part of a routine investigation into money laundering and had no connection with elections. It also alleged that certain individuals, including constitutional functionaries, had illegally intruded into two of the searched premises and forcibly taken away documents.