Raj Thackeray alleges BJP using Chhath Puja to create conflict
MNS chief claims BJP is stoking tensions ahead of Uttar Pradesh elections
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
Raj Thackeray
Photograph: Bollywood Hungama via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
What this story says
- Raj Thackeray accused the BJP of trying to create conflict over Chhath Puja.
- He alleged the BJP is using social media to depict Chhath Puja rituals as a cultural invasion.
- Thackeray stated the BJP's actions are aimed at creating tension ahead of Uttar Pradesh elections.
- BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhye responded that Chhath Puja is a festival of Biharis, not Uttar Pradesh.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 7 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 6 of the 13 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
42/100
Craft
59/100
Hype
55/100
13 sources · methodology
Thin on the left so far
Only 1 of the 7 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated left.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to create conflict over Chhath Puja. He alleged that the BJP is using social media to circulate reels depicting the festival's rituals as a cultural invasion. Thackeray stated these actions are intended to create tension ahead of the Uttar Pradesh elections. He also accused the BJP of manufacturing fear to win elections and claimed the countdown for its removal from power had begun.
Thackeray further alleged that the BJP nurtures a "toxic social media ecosystem" and makes desperate efforts in Mumbai and Maharashtra to stir up conflict between Marathi and North Indian communities over Chhath Puja. He claimed the BJP remains frustrated because the conflict it desires has failed to materialise and that its "divide-and-rule tactic" is no longer effective. Thackeray also accused the BJP of ruining social harmony and tolerance in the nation and Maharashtra.
Disagreement on Chhath Puja's relevance
BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhye stated that the MNS takes up trivial matters. He also said that Chhath Puja is a festival of Biharis and not Uttar Pradesh. This statement was reported by Hindustan Times.
What the coverage left out
None of the right-rated digests mention Raj Thackeray's specific accusations regarding the BJP's alleged attempts to hollow out the Sahyadri mountain range or hand over forest lands and properties to a specific industrialist. These details were present in the full report from Hindustan Times.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 13 times, most recently on 13 Nov 2026, 13:00, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
1 rated outlet
- The left-rated report from The Hindu focused on Raj Thackeray's accusation that the BJP was inciting conflict in Maharashtra. It highlighted his claims that the BJP was using Chhath Puja and Bhojpuri songs to create cultural tensions ahead of the Uttar Pradesh elections. The digest stated that Thackeray accused the BJP of inciting conflict in Mumbai over these issues.
Centre
1 rated outlet
- The centre-rated report from Hindustan Times led with Raj Thackeray's accusation that the BJP was stirring conflict and manufacturing fear over Chhath Puja. It detailed his claims that the BJP was using social media to depict rituals as a cultural invasion and attempting to create tension between Marathi and North Indian communities ahead of Uttar Pradesh elections. The report also included the BJP's response that Chhath Puja is a festival of Biharis, not Uttar Pradesh.
Right
5 rated outlets
- The right-rated reports from ABP News, The Print, Times of India, and aninews.in emphasised Raj Thackeray's allegations that the BJP was attempting to create conflict and divide communities over Chhath Puja. These digests highlighted his claims that the BJP was using the festival to stoke tensions ahead of the Uttar Pradesh elections and urged people, particularly Marathi speakers, to remain alert and avoid political traps. The Print's digest noted Thackeray accused the BJP of making desperate attempts to incite conflict in Mumbai by exploiting the Chhath Puja issue.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Raj Thackeray alleges BJP using Chhath Puja to create conflict?
- Of the 7 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 14% are rated left, 15% are rated centre, 71% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 13. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Raj Thackeray alleges BJP using Chhath Puja to create conflict left or right?
- Too few of the outlets on this story carry a published leaning rating to say. 7 of them do, and this site does not characterise a field under 12: at that size one newsroom filing moves the share by ten points. The percentages above are the count as it stands.
- Is the coverage of Raj Thackeray alleges BJP using Chhath Puja to create conflict biased?
- Raj Thackeray alleges BJP using Chhath Puja to create conflict is one event reported by 13 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Raj Thackeray alleges BJP using Chhath Puja to create conflict?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated left had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Raj Thackeray alleges BJP using Chhath Puja to create conflict?
- 13 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What is Raj Thackeray accusing the BJP of doing?
- Raj Thackeray is accusing the BJP of attempting to create conflict and social tension over the Chhath Puja festival. He alleges the party is using social media to spread fear and divide communities, particularly between Marathi and North Indian populations in Mumbai, to gain political advantage in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections.
- How is the BJP allegedly using social media?
- According to Raj Thackeray, the BJP is using social media to circulate reels that depict Chhath Puja rituals as a cultural invasion. He claims this is part of a strategy to manufacture fear and incite conflict among different communities.
- What was the BJP's response to the allegations?
- BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhye stated that the MNS (Maharashtra Navnirman Sena) tends to focus on trivial matters. He also commented that Chhath Puja is a festival celebrated by Biharis and is not specifically associated with Uttar Pradesh.
Read it at the source
13 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
1Centre
1Right
5- Bhojpuri songs at train stations: Raj accuses BJP of inciting conflict in Maharashtra (opens The Print in a new tab)
- Politics Intensifies in Maharashtra over Chhath Puja and Bhojpuri Songs, Enraged Raj Thackeray (opens Unknown in a new tab)
Unknown
- Controversy over Chhath Puja and Bhojpuri Songs, Raj Thackeray Gives Open Challenge to BJP! (opens ABP News in a new tab)
- 'Don't fall into BJP's trap': Raj Thackeray alleges bid to divide Mumbai over Chhath Puja (opens Times of India in a new tab)
Times of India — is Times of India biased? Our profile of this outlet
- MNS chief Raj Thackeray accuses BJP of using Chhath Puja to create conflict in Mumbai, says Marathi people must remain alert (opens aninews.in in a new tab)
aninews.in — is aninews.in biased? Our profile of this outlet
Not rated
6- Maharashtra Witnesses Political Storm over Chhath Puja (opens The CSR Journal in a new tab)
The CSR Journal — is The CSR Journal biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mumbai: Political Strife Erupts over Chhath Puja and Bhojpuri Songs; BJP Retaliates to Raj Thackeray's Allegations; Who Said What? (opens Amar Ujala in a new tab)
Amar Ujala — is Amar Ujala biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Raj Thackeray On Chhath Pooja: BJP Trying to Create Conflict in Maharashtra over Chhath Puja? Raj Thackeray's Big Allegation (opens TV9 Marathi in a new tab)
TV9 Marathi — is TV9 Marathi biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Raj Thackeray accuses BJP of stoking Marathi–North Indian divide over Chhath Puja; urges Sainiks to avoid 'political trap' - tennews.in: National News Portal (opens tennews.in in a new tab)
tennews.in — is tennews.in biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Raj Thackeray accuses BJP of stoking Marathi–North Indian divide over Chhath Puja; urges Sainiks to avoid ‘political trap’ (opens Social News XYZ in a new tab)
Social News XYZ — is Social News XYZ biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Marathi People Should Not Fall Into the BJP's Trap! Raj Thackeray Targets the BJP over the UP Elections and the Chhath Controversy. (opens navbharatlive.com in a new tab)
navbharatlive.com — is navbharatlive.com biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
How did this read?
About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.
