Shiv Sena (UBT) Attacks RSS, Claims It Seeks “Hindu Jinnah's Rule” and Questions the Sangh's DNA

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction) launched a scathing attack on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) through its mouthpiece Saamana, questioning the organization’s role in India’s freedom movement and the nature of its nationalism. The editorial accused the RSS of not contributing to the country’s independence or subsequent nation-building, yet still delivering lectures on freedom and nationalism.

The party further alleged that the aim of the Modi-Shah era is to fulfill the RSS’s agenda, which, according to Saamana, aspires to create not a tolerant Hindu society but a fanatic regime—a “Hindu Jinnah-like rule”—turning India into a “Hindu Pakistan” at the cost of democracy and individual rights.

Saamana also criticized RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, saying that his speech at the recent Vijayadashami gathering offered neither direction nor inspiration and merely echoed BJP’s political rhetoric. The editorial compared the rise of blind nationalism in neighboring countries to the current situation in India, warning of the dangers of stifled democracy and increasing public anger.

Additionally, Saamana took a swipe at the central government for issuing stamps and coins commemorating the RSS’s 100th anniversary, calling them “counterfeit and corrupt,” and asserted that the RSS has created dictators like Modi and Shah, leading the country away from true unity and democratic values. The editorial ultimately called for introspection into what kind of Hindutva and nationalism truly exists in the DNA of the RSS.