BJP alleges Uddhav govt removed 'Hindu' option in class 10, 12 exam forms; gives deadline

BJP MLA Atul Bhatkalkar on Wednesday alleged that the Maharashtra government has removed the ‘Hindu’ option from the examination form for classes 10th and 12th. Sharing a copy of the form, the BJP leader claimed that the Uddhav Thackeray government has used the word ‘Non-Minority’ instead of 'Hindu' in the newly released exam forms for the next board exams.  Bhatkalkar said that if the word 'Hindu' is not put back in the exam form in the next 24 hours, then the party will organise protests across the state along with burning of the forms. There has been no response from the MVA government so far on the allegations made by the BJP leader. 

'Thackeray government has abandoned Hindutva'

Meanwhile, amid the row over a Shiv Sena leader suggesting an 'Azaan' recital competition for Muslim children, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday claimed the Sena has "junked" its Hindutva ideology propagated by party founder Bal Thackeray and is pursuing "vote bank politics". Talking to reporters in Nagpur, the former Chief Minister, said the Shiv Sena has become "pseudo-secular", and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and party MP Sanjay Raut should speak on the issue.

'Shiv Sena doing opposite of what Balasaheb had said'

Shiv Sena Mumbai-South vibhag pramukh (division head) Pandurang Sakpal in an interview to an Urdu news portal recently likened 'Azaan' (a call for Muslim prayer) with Hindu ritual of 'aarti' and suggested holding an 'Azaan' recital competition for Muslim children.

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"This is not the Shiv Sena of 'Hindu Hriday Samrat' (emperor of Hindu hearts) Balasaheb Thackeray. He had always fought on this issue and the Shiv Sena is doing just the opposite of what Balasaheb had said in his statements and articles in (Sena mouthpiece) 'Saamana'," Fadnavis said.

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"The Shiv Sena has junked Hindutva for the sake of power and has become pseudo-secular. An appeasement policy is going on in the Shiv Sena. We have been saying it repeatedly...and it has become very clear," he said.

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To a query, Fadnavis said, "We have never considered Muslims as vote bank and do not want appeasement policy. Muslims are part of the 'Sabka saath sabka vikas'." But, the Shiv Sena is doing "vote bank politics", considering Muslims as vote bank, the leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly claimed.

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(With agency inputs)