Congress driving Shiv Sena away from Hindutva, MNS filling vacuum: BJP

PUNE: Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil on Wednesday asked chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to guard against the Congress‘ “conspiracy” to “win away” the Shiv Sena from its Hindutva agenda and allow the Raj Thackeray-led MNS to fill the saffron vacuum in the state.

In remarks viewed as an attempt to placate the former ally of his party, Patil hailed the Sena’s role “in protecting Hindus during communal riots and the Marathi manoos in Mumbai” as a “well-wisher” of the Thackeray-led party.

“The Congress is taking the Shiv Sena away from Hindutva and the MNS is being allowed to fill the Hindutva space as part of a conspiracy. The chief minister should understand this plan,” Patil said.

The Congress and the NCP are con