Mumbai, April 10 : Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam on Thursday sharply criticised the Congress' recent resolution focused on OBC votes, accusing it of fueling caste-based divisions for political gains.

'In its Ahmedabad convention, the Congress failed to oppose divisive forces operating under the guise of caste and religion. Instead, it passed a resolution aimed solely at consolidating OBC votes. This represents a dramatic and dangerous departure from its earlier nationalistic approach and exposes its hidden agenda of social division through caste politics," the former MP said.

Recalling the Congress' past stances, Nirupam told reporters that previous conventions saw the party adopt resolutions on Gram Swarajya, economic liberalisation, and bank nationalisation -- initiatives aimed at national development.

"The Congress once took a firm stand against the politics of caste, language, and religion. But now, it is mirroring the tactics of regional parties by embracing caste-based vote-bank politics. This ideological U-turn is both disappointing and alarming," he said.

He further alleged that the Congress is steadily drifting away from its national identity.

'The party is increasingly behaving like a regional outfit, prioritising short-term electoral gains over national unity,' Nirupam remarked.

Taking aim at Shiv Sena-UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray, Nirupam questioned his stance on the Congress' caste resolution.

'For 25 years, Sena-UBT ruled the BMC, yet Aaditya never inspected drain cleaning works. Now, out of power, he is suddenly conducting inspections. It raises serious questions'are these visits just a new way to pressurise contractors for commissions'?

Highlighting the current administration's achievements, Nirupam praised former Chief Minister and current Deputy CM Eknath Shinde for transforming Mumbai's infrastructure.

"Under CM Shinde's leadership, Mumbai's roads have been concretised and are now virtually pothole-free. This is what real development looks like -- not empty optics," he said.

/IANS