Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday slammed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, saying even if the latter took 100 births, he wouldn't be able to understand what goes on in NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar's mind. Raut's remarks have come days after Fadnavis's claim that Sharad Pawar had shortlisted three to four names for the chief minister's post ahead of the state assembly elections, but Uddhav Thackeray was not one of them.
Talking to reporters here, the Sena (UBT) leader said, "In 2019, did Fadnavis know what Sharad Pawar was thinking and planning? Even if he is born 100 times, Fadnavis will fail to fathom what goes on in Sharad Pawar's head. If there is any courage left with the ruling dispensation in the state, they should give a call for the election."
Raut alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah orchestrated recent splits in political parties and even within families leading these parties. The allegation has come in the wake of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's recent statement that society frowns upon people who break their families.
Ajit Pawar made the statement during a rally in Gadchiroli, where he tried to discourage party leader and state minister Dharmarao Baba Aatram's daughter Bhagyashri from crossing over to the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP). The Sena (UBT) leader said, "Who broke political parties and families (in Maharashtra)? Modi and Shah engineered splits in political parties and even in families. They (Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar) fell prey to it. They should admit they were threatened, pressurised, or lured to defect from their parties."
Be it the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray or Sharad Pawar's NCP, both parties gave ample opportunities to Shinde and Ajit Pawar for many years, but they chose to defect, he claimed. Raut also criticised Shah over fresh violence breaking out in Manipur, accusing him of neglecting the northeastern state. Shah is in Mumbai for a day to visit important Ganesh mandals and participate in an event.
"Despite the fresh attacks in Manipur and the continued suffering of women, the union home minister is here in Mumbai. He (Shah) should go to Manipur, Jammu and Kashmir. What business does he have in Mumbai? He should show courage to visit Manipur," the Sena (UBT) leader said. At least seven persons have been killed and more than 15 injured in incidents of violence in Manipur in the last five days.
