Raut Claims Shinde Tried to Reconcile Thackeray Cousins to Counter BJP
Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has claimed that Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, during his time in the undivided Shiv Sena, had attempted to bring Uddhav and Raj Thackeray together. Shinde believed that a rapprochement between the Thackeray cousins was essential to counter the BJP’s growing influence, Raut claimed.
“In order to bring two cousins together, Shinde along with Pratap Sarnaik (now a Shiv Sena minister) had gone to meet Raj Thackeray 10-12 years ago without taking permission from Matoshree (the residence of Uddhav Thackeray),” the Rajya Sabha MP said in his weekly column ‘Rokhthok’ (point blank) in the Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece Saamana.
“In fact, Shinde and Sarnaik had told me several times in the past to bring Raj and Uddhav Thackeray together. According to them, it was necessary to unfurl the saffron flag over Maharashtra. The cousins must come together to stop the BJP. They were right,” he said.
Raut accused Shinde of betraying Mr. Uddhav Thackeray for his own interest. “Shinde is unhappy now that his condition has worsened after the Thackeray brothers have come together. The Marathi unity has become strong after the Thackeray cousins have joined hands. The BJP followed the British policy of ‘divide and rule.’ But it ended in Maharashtra at least when the Thackerays became united. Maharashtra cannot afford Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray to live separately,” he added.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader claimed that bonhomie between the BJP and Shinde is fake. Shinde is working to finish off Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, whereas Fadnavis does not want Shinde and his people around him. There reconciliation between them is not possible, said Raut.
Raut later pointed out that Shinde’s trips to Delhi have increased as the date of the Supreme Court hearing on the party symbol nears. Shinde was in Delhi on October 25 where he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
However, BJP spokesperson Navnath Ban slammed Raut saying the latter was upset as Shinde’s Delhi visit has strengthened the BJP- Shinde government in Maharashtra.
The Supreme Court on November 12 is set to hear the Shiv Sena UBT’s plea against the Maharashtra Speaker’s decision to allot the ‘bow and arrow’ party symbol to the Eknath Shinde-led faction.