'Gomutra Se Shuddhikaran Karna Padega': Nitesh Rane Targets Uddhav Thackeray Over Maha Aarti (Watch Video)
Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Nitesh Rane sparked a fresh political row on Friday after making highly provocative remarks targeted at Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray. Speaking to media persons in Mumbai, Rane suggested that any location where Thackeray performs a 'maha aarti' (a grand religious ritual) should subsequently be "purified" using gomutra (cow urine).
Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Nitesh Rane sparked a fresh political row on Friday after making highly provocative remarks targeted at Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray. Speaking to media persons in Mumbai, Rane suggested that any location where Thackeray performs a 'maha aarti' (a grand religious ritual) should subsequently be "purified" using gomutra (cow urine).
The comment marks a sharp escalation in the ongoing verbal feud between the ruling Mahayuti alliance and Thackeray’s faction of the Shiv Sena. Rane’s statement explicitly targets the religious and cultural legitimacy of the opposition leader's public rituals. ‘I Drink Gau Mutra’: Nitesh Rane Says He Prefers Cow Urine When Asked Whether He Drinks Rooh Afza or ‘Gulab Sharbat’ During Summer (Watch Video).
Politicians from the Shiv Sena (UBT) quickly condemned the remarks, labeling them as a reflection of the deteriorating political discourse in Maharashtra. Party spokespersons accused the minister of weaponizing religious symbols to distract from burning administrative and civic issues in the state.
This friction comes against the backdrop of an intensely polarized political climate in Maharashtra. Ever since the split of the original Shiv Sena in 2022, the rival factions led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray have frequently traded sharp, personal jibes over Hindutva ideology and political legacy, often drawing in high-profile leaders from allied parties like the BJP. 'I Am Ready to Quit Party Chief's Post': Emotional Uddhav Thackeray Amid Shiv Sena (UBT) Crisis; Eknath Shinde Hits Back.
'Gomutra Se Shuddhikaran Karna Padega'
VIDEO | Mumbai: "Places where Uddhav Thackeray performs 'maha aarti' should be 'purified' with gomutra (cow urine)," says Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane.
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7)#Mumbai pic.twitter.com/YJV9aWeu64
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 3, 2026
Political observers note that such rhetoric is likely to intensify in the coming weeks as both alliances gear up for crucial legislative and local body battlelines across the state. Neither Uddhav Thackeray nor his immediate family has officially responded to Rane's specific remarks as of Friday evening.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 03, 2026 04:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
