A day after the BJP launched the Saugat-e-Modi kits scheme ahead of the Eid-ul-Fitr, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday charged that the ruling BJP had“abandoned” Hindutva and resorted to “Satta-jihad” in the run-up to the Bihar Assembly polls.

The BJP’s Saugat-e-Modi scheme, which is being seen as a strategic move by the ruling party to woo the minority community ahead of the Bihar Assembly polls, is expected to benefit 32 lakh under-privileged Muslims across the country.

Slamming the BJP for its Muslim appeasement move resorted to ahead of the Bihar Assembly polls, Uddhav said, “This is not Saugat-e-Modi but Saugat-e-Satta. This initiative is only for the Bihar Assembly elections. If anything, the BJP has resorted to satta-jihad”.

“These people are fake Hindutva proponents… The BJP should formally announce that they have abandoned Hindutva. In fact, the BJP is distributing ‘Saugat-e-Satta’ to those whose houses were demolished by bulldozers and to many of those who lost their lives in communal riots,” the Sena (UBT) chief said.

Accusing the BJP of practising double standards, Uddhav said, “They use Muslims as scapegoats when it suits them, but during the elections, they distribute sweets to them. Look at how these

turncoats suddenly don skullcaps now. Before accusing me of abandoning Hindutva, remove the green color from your flag first”.

Ripping apart the BJP further, the Sena (UBT) chief sarcastically asked: “Who will protect the mangalsutras of Hindu women now? Is there even a true Hindutva party left?  Is ‘Saugat-e-Satta’ only for the Bihar and UP elections, or will it continue beyond that?”

Earlier, the Opposition parties like the Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati and Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kirti Azad had come down heavily on the BJP for its Saugat-e-Modi, aimed at appeasing Muslims ahead of the Bihar Assembly polls. Taking to micro-blogging site “X”, Congress national spokesperson Shama Mohammad had written on Wednesday: “After demonising the Muslim community, delivering hate speeches against them, making propaganda videos to target them, and bulldozing their homes, the BJP is now planning to distribute Saugat-e-Modi kits to 32 lakh Muslims on Eid. What a hypocritical drama”.

Dubbing “Saugat-e-Modi” as a “political move”, BSP chief Mayawati wrote on X: “While the BJP’s announcement to send the Prime Minister’s ‘love message and gift’ as ‘Saugat-e-Modi’ to 32 lakh poor minority families on occasions such as Eid, Baisakhi, Good Friday, and Easter may seem like a benevolent gesture, it only serves their political interests”.

Choosing to term the BJP’s “Muslim appeasement” scheme as “the joke of the day,” Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kirti Azad said, “Have you seen crocodile’s face? It appears as if the animal is smiling but when you go near, it will swallow you. The same scenario is with the BJP. The world knows about their acts, they have nothing to show. This is the biggest joke of the day”.