MUMBAI: Aditya Thackeray, the leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT), has come under fire from members of the ruling alliance Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party for meeting and hugging Congressman Rahul Gandhi on November 11 while on the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Nanded.

BSS-BJP ministers and leaders mentioned that since Aditya had met a Gandhi who has been criticizing Swatantraveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, he should be "sprinkled" or given a full-fledged "cow urine bath".

To give the former minister Thackeray Jr. a "gomutra" cleansing treatment, BSS state minister Deepak Kesarkar, spokesperson Sheetal Mhatre, BJP union minister Raosaheb Danve, and others joined the chorus.

Danve harshly questioned Aditya as to whether he was unaware that he was joining people who were mistreating Veer Savarkar, calling it a "failure of Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva ideology" and asserting that he would not receive Balasaheb Thackeray's blessings.

Aditya had last week joined Gandhi, hugged him, and took part in the BJY, so Kesarkar and Mhatre likewise wanted to "purify" him by cleaning him clean with cow urine.

The apparent provocation was Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's late-night Wednesday visit to Balasaheb Thackeray's memorial on the eve of his 10th death anniversary, which is marked today (November 17).

The local Sainiks (UBT) allegedly went and sprayed cow urine at the spot to "clear" it shortly after the Chief Minister left, infuriating the BSS leaders and igniting a new round of fighting on Thursday.

Arvind Sawant, MP, a leader of the Sena (UBT), made an effort to defend the action by implying that it was required since "gaddaars" (traitors) had gone there.

To avoid any potential conflict with the Sena (UBT) leaders who are swarming the memorial today, Shinde chose to pay his respects at Balasaheb Thackeray's memorial in Shivaji Park beforehand.

This morning, thousands of party MPs, MLAs, senior officials, and fans from all across Maharashtra came to pay their respects to the late ex-CM and Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray. They were joined by his wife Rashimi, son Aditya, other family members, and other family members.

Uddhav Thackeray later held an exhibition on Balasaheb Thackeray's life and times at the location, which featured his witty essays, cartoons, caricatures, and pictures among other things.

On Wednesday, party MP Sanjay Raut made fun of the BSS leaders for travelling to pay respects to the Sena founder with "daggers"-- a reference to the Shinde-led uprising that toppled Thackeray's previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government in June.

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