Mumbai: Just four days after mending fences with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray took a sideswipe at the Sangh Parivar for seeing the mere withdrawal of the Ram Setu affidavit as a “victory for Hindus”. The UPA government, after filing an affidavit doubting the historical authenticity of Lord Ram, withdrew the offending portions of the affidavit last Friday.

But the Sena chief apparently wants the Sangh Parivar to take the battle to its logical end. He said, “Those who find victory in an affidavit withdrawal should not dream of bigger victories, which are actually won on the battlefield, like Raja Shiv Chhattrapati’s over Afzal Khan.”

Thackeray said some “Hindu outfits” have forgotten “the real sense of bigger victories.” He indirectly seemed to be blaming Parivar outfits like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and their leaders for demoralising Hindus. Thackeray added: “The rulers ignore us as they know well in advance that Hindus start negotiating even before winning the battle. The rulers praise Hindus for their secularism, which actually makes us ‘murdaad’ (lifeless) and we surrender to it.”

“Those who are denying Ram’s existence might even refuse the existence of Hindus in future, but such ‘murdaad’ Hindus will even find victory in agreeing to be identified as secular Hindus just to ensure their existence in this country,” he said.