'Did Pahalgam terrorists join BJP?' Thackeray questions lack of arrests

On the language controversy, Uddhav Thackeray said: "We are not against any language. We are against its forced imposition."

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Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) Chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday questioned the arrest status of the terrorists who carried out an attack in Jammu & Kashmir’s Pahalgam valley, killing 26 civilians.

 

“Did the Pahalgam terrorists join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)? Where are they now, and why haven’t they been caught yet? Or is it another case of ‘Washing Powder BJP’?” said the former Maharashtra chief minister while addressing a press conference in Mumbai.

 

Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) proxy, The Resistance Front (TRF), had earlier claimed responsibility for the attack, but later declined any involvement. The government agencies are yet to arrest any of the terrorists who carried out the attacks. 

 

Thackeray further said that the ruling party has taken members of Parliament (MPs) to different nations to seek support against terrorism, and “we have supported their stance.” 

 

Referring to the recent announcement of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 schedule—where the Indian team is set to play against Pakistan on October 5—he said, “Now don’t they (BJP) feel ashamed to play games with Pakistan?”

 

India recently revoked the suspension of Instagram accounts of various Pakistani celebrities, which were banned after the Pahalgam attacks, but the government later clarified that it was due to a technical glitch.

 

Shiv Sena (UBT) has long supported the view that Pakistani artists and sportspersons should be completely banned from India.

 

On the language controversy, Thackeray said: “We are not against any language. We are against its forced imposition.”

 

“I am talking to you in Hindi right here. Our MPs talk in Hindi in Parliament. So we don’t oppose a language; rather, we are opposing the forceful imposition through the three-language policy.” 

 

He further argued that if Hindi is imposed as the third language in Marathi-speaking regions, then what would be the third language in Hindi-speaking northern states such as Uttar Pradesh?

 

Earlier in June, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that hooliganism in the name of language will not be tolerated in the state, after a group of men wearing Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) scarves thrashed a food stall owner for not speaking Marathi in Thane’s Bhayander.

 

On Saturday, the two Thackeray cousins, Uddhav and Raj, shared the stage after 20 years to oppose the three-language policy under the New Education Policy.