Political opponents’ reactions to cousins Uddhav and Raj Thackeray’s reunion ranged from allegations of it being “anti-Hindu” to a “desperate attempt to stay relevant” after their joint rally in Mumbai on Saturday. BJP’s Nitesh Rane at a recent public interaction in Mumbai.(PTI File)

Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane had among the most caustic reactions, terming it a “jihadi” gathering. “We are Hindus and also proud Marathi. The way jihadis attempt to divide our society, these people are doing the same,” he alleged, as per an ANI report.

Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar termed the rally an “appeasement” campaign for elections “rather than an event organised for language”.

In his X post, Shelar wrote: “With the municipal elections approaching, the panicked Ubatha Sena (a mocking term for Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena) has suddenly remembered ‘brotherhood’… and they’ve never truly cared for it anyway!”

Another BJP leader, former minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, however, had a rather conciliatory tone. “The two brothers should unite and stay united. If necessary, their parties should even consider merging… If they are coming together, it’s a good thing. They have our best wishes.” he said, according to the news agency.

At the central level, union minister Chirag Paswan that Uddhav and Raj were coming together “not for language, but for their selfish motives and to recover their lost base”.

Paswan’s LJP, an ally of the BJP, is from Bihar, one of the Hindi-speaking states that Raj Thackeray mentioned were “lagging behind Maharashtra”.

“The Constitution of India permits us to live in any corner of the country and speak any language,” Pawan stressed, “I support and respect every language… But how a few selfish political parties promote politics of discrimination – be it over caste, religion, region and now language – I do not support this at all.”

(With inputs from agencies)