Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday took a swipe at the Bharatiya Janata Party and the faction headed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde by stating the saffron flag needs to be in one's heart and not just in one's hands.

The BJP and Shinde faction have often accused Thackeray of compromising on the ideals of Hindutva by joining hands with the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party for the sake of power.

Speaking to his party workers at his residence, Thackeray said, "This is an opportunity given to us by God to save democracy in the country and preserve Hindutva. The saffron flag does not have to be just in one's hands, it has to be in one's heart. It is in my heart."

Thackeray asked his party workers to come in a disciplined way to the Dussehra rally, which he will address at Shivaji Park on October 5. On the ongoing case in the Supreme Court and the Election Commission on which faction of the Sena is the original one, Thackeray said "we need to win this battle in court as well as before the EC".

(With PTI inputs)