Mumbai, February 24 – The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) stated on Tuesday that the protest at Bharat Mandapam is a "half-naked revolution" within a democracy, where the ruling party, the media, and universities all engage in a state of exposure.
"In India, the complete stripping of democracy, the Election Commission, and the judicial system has been achieved during Prime Minister Modi's 'Amrit Kaal'. The real blow to the country's prestige lies here. This invokes the proverb, 'Everyone is naked in the hammam (public bath)', suggesting that if Prime Minister Modi understood this, he would not make such hollow accusations about the half-naked protest at Bharat Mandapam. The administration should recognize its own vulnerabilities before criticizing others," the party said in its mouthpiece, 'Saamana'.
In an editorial in 'Saamana', the Thackeray camp said, "Even after the Modi government stripped itself by signing a trade agreement with President Trump, which allegedly enslaves India, they still feel the need to criticize the Congress. The government's attitude is to criticize the Congress, which is their only business. Even as India continues to be exposed, Prime Minister Modi continues to speak about the exposure of others."
The editorial questioned Prime Minister Modi's intense reaction to this specific protest, pointing to past instances where more severe "nudity" failed to elicit a similar response from the leadership.
"The horrific display of nudity in Manipur, where women were paraded naked by a mob. The Prime Minister failed to visit the victims or offer genuine support during that crisis. If the half-naked protest at Bharat Mandapam damaged the country's prestige, did the naked parade of women in Manipur represent the pinnacle of prestige? Years ago, women staged a nude protest in front of an army regiment office, alleging heinous misconduct, yet their cries reportedly went unheard by the administration. Thousands of Naga Sadhus move openly in a state of nudity during the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, which the BJP embraces as part of Indian culture and Hindutva," the editorial said.
According to the editorial, a certain "Modi-bhakt" female leader of the BJP had crossed all limits by using language about "stripping others naked" to challenge opponents. However, the people of Amethi showed her true place and defeated her. "Winston Churchill used to refer to Mahatma Gandhi as a "naked fakir" or "semi-naked fakir" to mock him. Yet, it was that same "semi-naked fakir" who gave the "Quit India" message and forced the British to pack up and leave," it remarked.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena claimed that Prime Minister Modi's frequent criticism of Congress has become a "business", saying that while the government accuses the opposition of stripping the nation of its dignity, the administration itself has been "stripped bare" by its own actions. "The naked dance of power continues in India while supporters shower it with flowers," said the party in the editorial.
