I was born Shiv Sainik, not 'chowkidar', don't work for Congress-mukt Bharat: Uddhav Thackeray

Uddhav Thackeray, Shiv Sena chief, on Monday said he was not a chowkidar as he was born a Shiv Sainik. “I am not a chowkidar. I was born a Shiv Sainik, so I am sainik," Thackeray said in an interview with senior party leader Sanjay Raut.

He, however, reiterated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be given another five years’ term. "I don't work for Congress mukt Bharat but PM Modi should be given another five years,” he said. Interestingly, Thackeray recently said the Sena and BJP have sunk their differences. "Amit Shah came to meet me, we held a discussion and our issues were resolved....Our ideologies and hearts are woven together. We have come together because Hindutva binds us," Thackeray said.

Thackeray was present in Gujarat a day after the interview to show support to the NDA on March 29.

Last year, Thackeray mouthed the Congress' oft-repeated jibe of "chowkidar chor hai" made in the context of the Rafale fighter jet deal to mount a veiled attack on his senior ally -- the BJP and Modi.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has been repeatedly hurling the "chowkidar chor hai" (the guard is a thief) jibe at Modi to claim irregularities and favouritism in the Rafale deal and award of offset contracts related to the Rs 58,000-crore defence agreement with France. However, the government has rejected the charges.

The origin of this line dates back to the run-up of the 2014 general elections when Modi had promised to work as a 'chowkidar' to guard the people's money and their trust once elected to the top office.