Mumbai, Aug 30 (IANS): Yoga Guru Ramdev called on Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and solemnly touched his feet, even as the Shiv Sena questioned the latter's credentials, here on Tuesday.

The duo also held discussions during what was described as a 'courtesy visit' by officials. Earlier he also met the Bharatiya Janata Party's Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.

Briefly interacting with mediapersons later, Ramdev said that CM Shinde is a beacon of 'Sanatan Hindutva' who has been following the ideals of the Shiv Sena founder, the late Balasaheb Thackeray, with whom he enjoyed cordial relations.

"Now, Eknath Shinde is the true heir to Balasaheb Thackeray's legacy of Hindutva," declared Ramdev, whose nephew Ravi Rana is an independent MLA from Amravati. Rana's wife Navneet Kaur-Rana is an independent MP from the same district.

Ramdev's comments raised eyebrows in Sena circles with spokesperson Kishore Tiwari wondering what "is the locus standi" of Ramdev to comment on Balasaheb Thackeray's legacy.

"Ramdev himself is a tainted person. He is giving a suo moto certificate to the unholy alliance of Shinde-Fadnavis which has still not earned credibility or respect of the people of the state, and the matter is pending before the courts," said Tiwari.

The Rana couple had shot to fame in April when they spearheaded an aggressive agitation to chant the Hanuman Chalisa outside the private residence of the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi's ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray.

Following a sudden rebellion by Shinde and 50 other MLAs supporting the Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress MVA regime, Thackeray quit in end-June.