Bengaluru: Does it seem like Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray is finally putting his foot down and calling spade a spade? 

The recent meeting Shiva Sena leader had with Prime Minister Narendra Modi should prove a point. The two leaders discussed the CAA and NPR at length. 

By the end of the meeting, Uddhav Thackeray was thoroughly convinced that CAA and NPR were the need of the hour and went on to say unhesitatingly, that both were innocuous and that, he would implement them in Maharashtra. 

Now, compare and contrast this with his behaviour in the initial days of ascending to the throne of chief minister. 

1. Rahul Gandhi, the former AICC president, openly informed a gathering that he is not “Rahul Savarkar to apologise” in relation to the “Rape in India” comment. Shiva Sena did express its disappointment, but nothing beyond that.

2. As regards the Citizenship Amendment Bill, the Shiva Sena voted in favour of it in the Lok Sabha, but abstained from voting in the Rajya Sabha. The Congress and NCP are not in favour of the CAA. This move only exposed the Shiva Sena’s hypocrisy.

3. Shiva Sena also compared the CAA protests in Jamia Millia to what had happened during the Jallianwala Bagh.

4. Then, in what came as the last nail in the coffin, Uddhav Thackeray even compared what had happened on JNU campus was similar to what had happened during the 26/11 terrorist attack in Mumbai.

5. Lastly, a Congress booklet alleged that Veer Savarkar had a physical relationship with Nathuram Godse, Mahatma Gandhiji’s assassin.

In all these instances, Uddhav Thackeray had remained conspicuously mum, triggering the thoughts that he had become subservient and was kowtowing to the other alliance partners. 

But thankfully, there is a change in the script. Like the true son of Bal Thackeray, he has shown some spine and is ready to get pugnacious with his allies. 

He understands that CAA and NPR are not against any citizen of this country and has relapsed into what his party Shiva Sena stands for, that is Hindutva.