With the recent priest killings snowballing into a political slugfest, Yogi Adityanath late on Tuesday lashed out at Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut asking him to “handle Maharashtra and not worry about Uttar Pradesh”.

Following the murder of two sadhus at a temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr district on Monday night, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray yesterday spoke to Yogi Adityanath over phone and urged for immediate action against the accused.

Thackeray also pointed out that on April 16, a similar incident of two sadhus and their driver being lynched had taken place in Palghar in which the Maharashtra government had initiated strong action.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, in an apparent taunt at the BJP, had said the killing of priests in Uttar Pradesh should not be communalised like the Palghar incident.

“Uddhavji said when such incidents happen, we should refrain from indulging in politics and unitedly work to punish the culprits,” Raut said.

Raut in a tweet also termed the killing of the two priests in Bulandshahr as “inhuman and brutal”.

“Terrible ! killing of two saints, sadhus at a temple in Bulandshahar,UP, but I appeal to all concerned to not make it communal the way they tried to make Palghar, Maharashtra incidence,” he tweeted.

“Maintain peace. The country is fighting corona and Yogi Adityanath will punish the culprits,” he said in another tweet.

Reacting to the tweets, Yogi Adityanath said: “Sanjay Raut, what should we say about such ideological views, your labelling as politics the concern over the gruesome killing of saints in Palghar? Your comments, bloodsoaked in poor morals, is a reflection of your changed political colours. This is undoubtedly the gateway to appeasement.”

Yogi claimed that he had dialed Uddhav Thackeray because the sadhus killed in Maharashtra’s Palghar belonged to the Nirmohi Akhada.

“There is rule of law in UP. It deals strictly with those who break the law. Prompt action was taken after the Bulandshahr killings and the accused was caught within hours. Handle Maharashtra, don’t worry about UP,” he said.

The Maharashtra CM’s call has given the UP incident a political twist as days earlier, Yogi Adityanath had made a similar phone call to him over the lynching of two sadhus in Palghar.

Uddhav had assured prompt action in the matter and subsequently, around 110 accused villagers — including the five masterminds — have been arrested in the case till date.