On Tuesday, the Shiv Sena (UBT) launched a scathing attack on the Narendra Modi-led central government, accusing it of missing a historic opportunity to fulfill Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar’s vision of ‘Akhand Bharat’.
In an editorial published in its mouthpiece Saamana, the party argued that if military operations had continued for just four more days, the Indian Army could have taken control of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), Karachi, and Lahore. However, it alleged that US President Donald Trump intervened, preventing this outcome.
“India should have at least reclaimed PoK and separated Balochistan from Pakistan before halting the offensive,” the editorial stated, as quoted by PTI.
The editorial further claimed, “Savarkar envisioned an undivided India stretching from PoK to Rameswaram and from the Indus to Assam, but the Modi government failed to act on this opportunity.” It went on to say that Prime Minister Modi no longer holds the right to invoke Savarkar’s name in politics.
Following a four-day exchange of drone and missile strikes between India and Pakistan, both countries reached an agreement to cease all military operations on land, air, and sea. The Saamana editorial criticized Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction for retreating when the chance arose to make ‘Akhand Bharat’ a reality.
Sena (UBT) MP and Saamana executive editor Sanjay Raut also remarked that Modi’s address to the nation on Monday didn’t reflect the tone of a victorious leader. Taking a jab at Modi and Shah, Raut said they might succeed in breaking political parties, but not Pakistan.
The criticism came in the wake of Operation Sindoor, a military response by India after the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. India targeted nine terror-related locations across Pakistan and PoK. This was followed by retaliatory strikes from Pakistan, which included drones and missiles. India’s precision attacks ultimately forced Pakistan to stand down after four days of intense conflict.
