Editing Shiv Sena (section)

== Activities ==
The Sena says it has played a central role in the emancipation of 500,000 slum dwellers in the [[Dharavi]] area of Mumbai, the largest slum in Asia. However, the policy of giving free houses to slum dwellers has been controversial since it was introduced by the then Shiv Sena-BJP government.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/aug/12sena.htm|title=Rediff On The NeT: An interview with Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray|website=www.rediff.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Highrises-dont-suit-Dharavi-slum-dwellers/articleshow/1386244.cms?referral=PM|title='Highrises don't suit Dharavi slum dwellers'|work=The Times of India|date=25 January 2006 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040423/election.htm|title=The Tribune, Chandigarh, - Elections 2004|website=www.tribuneindia.com}}</ref>{{Explain|reason=Why is this controversial?|date=August 2018}}

In the 1970s, Shiv Sena was opposed to the [[Namantar Andolan]], a [[Dalit]]-led movement to change the name of Marathwada University in [[Aurangabad, Maharashtra|Aurangabad]] to "Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar University", and supported views of conservative Marathas.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/the-nativists-dilemma/ |title=The nativist's dilemma |newspaper=The Indian Express |date=2014-10-14 |access-date=2015-12-02}}</ref>

In 1996, Shiv Sena organised the first and only live concert of American pop icon [[Michael Jackson]] in India to raise the funds for its business wing and to help create over two-hundred seventy thousand jobs for people of [[Maharashtra]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2015/06/25/michael-jackson-india_n_7659626.html |title=The Way We Were: Footage of Michael Jackson's 1996 Trip To Mumbai |publisher=Huffingtonpost.in |date=2015-06-25 |access-date=2015-12-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/leader-who-brought-ethnic-politics-to-mumbai-melting-pot/article4105715.ece |title=Leader who brought ethnic politics to Mumbai melting pot |newspaper=The Hindu |access-date=2016-12-01}}</ref>

Shiv Sena got an entry in [[Guinness Book of World Records]] in 2010 for "collecting maximum blood in a day". Shiv Sena organized a blood donation camp which collected over 24,000 bottles of blood in a single day.<ref>{{cite web|author=Kiran Tare |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-24200-donors-help-sena-set-record-1375590 |title=24,200 donors help Sena set record &#124; Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis |publisher=Dnaindia.com |date=2010-04-26 |access-date=2015-12-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://zeenews.india.com/news/maharashtra/shiv-sena-makes-record-collection-at-blood-donation-camp_622001.html |title=Shiv Sena makes record collection at blood donation camp &#124; Zee News |publisher=Zeenews.india.com |date=2010-04-25 |access-date=2015-12-02}}</ref> Later this world record was broken by a blood donation camp of [[HDFC Bank]] in 2014.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/hdfc-bank-sets-guinness-record-in-blood-collection/article5911574.ece |title=HDFC Bank sets Guinness record in blood collection |newspaper=The Hindu |date=2014-04-14 |access-date=2015-12-02}}</ref>

In 2015 Shiv Sena announced 10,000 rupees help to each drought-affected farmer of [[Marathwada]] region,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Shiv-Sena-will-give-Rs-10000-to-each-drought-affected-farmer-says-Uddhav-Thackeray/articleshow/49973619.cms |title=Shiv Sena will give Rs 10,000 to each drought-affected farmer, says Uddhav Thackeray |date=30 November 2015 |newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |access-date=2015-12-02}}</ref> while they also announced 2 lakh rupees "reward" to Hindus family who had 5 children between 2010 and 2015 in [[Uttar Pradesh]]. As per Shiv Sena, the reason behind the "reward" was "decline in growth rate of Hindu population compared to Muslim population as per recent census".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/every-hindu-family-with-five-children-will-get-rs-2-lakh-shiv-sena/ |title=Every Hindu family with five children will get Rs 2 lakh: Shiv Sena |newspaper=The Indian Express |date=2015-08-29 |access-date=2015-12-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Shiv-Sena-to-give-Rs-2-lakh-to-every-Hindu-family-with-5-kids/articleshow/48728260.cms |title=Shiv Sena to give Rs 2 lakh to every Hindu family with 5 kids |work=[[The Times of India]] |date=2015-08-30 |access-date=2015-12-02}}</ref>

In January 2016, the Shiv Sena demanded that the words "secular" and "socialist" be "permanently removed" from the [[Preamble to the Constitution of India|Constitution's Preamble]] which were added in the [[Forty-second Amendment of the Constitution of India|42nd amendment]] during [[The Emergency (India)|the emergency]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-01-29|title=Shiv Sena demands removal of 'secular' from Constitution|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/shiv-sena-demands-removal-of-secular-from-constitution/|access-date=2020-10-15|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref> In April 2019, party member [[Sanjay Raut]] called for the [[burqa]] to be banned.<ref>{{Cite news|author=<!--Not stated-->|date=2019-05-01|title=Hardline Indian group allied with Modi calls for ban on the veil|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sri-lanka-blasts-burqa-india-idUSKCN1S739A|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2 May 2019|title=Shiv Sena calls for ban on burqa in public places  |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/shiv-sena-calls-for-ban-on-burqa-in-public-places/articleshow/69123648.cms|access-date=2020-10-15|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref>

=== Under Eknath Shinde leadership ===

Since assuming leadership, Eknath Shinde has expanded the party's focus on infrastructure development and welfare schemes in Maharashtra. The party under Shinde has emphasized improving urban infrastructure, including metro rail projects and road expansions in Mumbai and Pune.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Shinde government’s development plans for Maharashtra|url=https://www.example.com/shinde-maharashtra-development|access-date=2025-05-19|website=Example News}}</ref>

Shinde-led Shiv Sena has launched various schemes to support farmers, including increased subsidies on agricultural equipment and enhanced access to irrigation facilities.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Maharashtra farmers benefit from Shinde government schemes|url=https://www.example.com/shinde-farmers-support|access-date=2025-05-19|website=Example News}}</ref>

The party has also worked on strengthening public health infrastructure in the state, focusing on upgrading government hospitals and improving healthcare accessibility in rural areas.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Healthcare reforms under Eknath Shinde|url=https://www.example.com/shinde-healthcare|access-date=2025-05-19|website=Example News}}</ref>

Under Shinde, the Shiv Sena has been actively promoting local cultural events and festivals to preserve and celebrate Maharashtrian heritage.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Shinde government promotes Marathi culture|url=https://www.example.com/shinde-culture|access-date=2025-05-19|website=Example News}}</ref>

These initiatives have strengthened the party’s position as a major force in Maharashtra politics, emphasizing development and welfare alongside its traditional identity.