Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Thursday demanded Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian honour, for party founder late Bal Keshav Thackeray, popularly known as Balasaheb Thackeray.

“Several people who never deserved Bharat Ratna received it. But the man who truly sowed the seeds of Hindutva in this country deserves the Bharat Ratna. Why has Bal Thackeray, the ‘Hindu Hriday Samrat,’ (emperor of Hindu hearts) not been honoured with this award? Bharat Ratna must be conferred upon Balasaheb. This is the Shiv Sena demand,” Raut said on the occasion of Bal Thackeray’s 99th birth anniversary which is being observed on January 23.

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Balasaheb Thackeray passed away on November 17, 2012.

Incidentally, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena has made the demand earlier as well and the same demand was also made on February 9, 2024 by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray.

Raut said that Thackeray’s centenary is just a year away. “Before his centenary begins, it is imperative that he is given the Bharat Ratna. The government could not award the Bharat Ratna to Veer Savarkar. If they confer it upon Balasaheb, it will also honour the legacy of Savarkar,” Raut said.

Comparing the Deputy CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena to Chinese firecrackers, Sanjay Raut said that “The real Shiv Sena is in Matoshri. There are counterfeit medicines and clothes in the market. There are Chinese crackers. They don’t burst but there are only sparks. Such products are being purchased by the BJP.”

In a related development Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, along with his son Aaditya Thackeray, led a tribute ceremony on Thursday to honour Bal Thackeray, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah paid their respects.

In a post on his X handle, PM Modi tweeted, “I pay homage to Balasaheb Thackeray Ji on his birth anniversary. He is widely respected and remembered for his commitment to public welfare and towards Maharashtra’s development. He was uncompromising when it came to his core beliefs and always contributed towards enhancing the pride of Indian culture”.

However, reacting to the PM’s tribute to Balasaheb Thackeray Sanjay Raut said, “I don’t want to name and disrespect them, but if the government really wishes to pay tribute to Balasaheb Thackeray, they should announce the Bharat Ratna for him on January 26, Republic Day. The Union Home Minister and the Prime Minister have tweeted tributes to Balasaheb. If they genuinely mean it, they should act immediately”.

Meanwhile, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and the Deputy CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena are all set to hold two separate rallies on Thursday, to commemorate the birth anniversary of Shiv Sena founder, in a competition to stake claim over his political legacy.

Both the Senas are expected to sound the poll bugle for the forthcoming local civic body elections in Maharashtra which would include the cash rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which has been under control of the undivided Sena for practically three decades.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena’s rally will be held in Andheri, while Deputy CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena’s rally will be held at the Bandra-Kurla Complex.

A Shinde-led leader Shaina NC said that a huge rally will be held at the Bandra Kurla Complex to honour Balasaheb’s legacy. “We are committed to ensuring that the saffron flag continues to soar over the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) this year,” Shaina NC said.

“They (Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aaditya Thackeray) owe an apology to the people of Maharashtra for betraying Balasaheb’s ideology. Unlike them, Shiv Sena does not engage in vote bank politics or treat Muslim brothers merely as voters. In his desperation, Uddhav Thackeray has aligned himself with the Congress and sought support from the Muslim community, abandoning the principles which Balasaheb stood for.

“Shiv Sena remains resolute in its fight against illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, which is a cause Balasaheb had championed,” Shaina NC of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena said.