PM Modi wishes speedy recovery to Sanjay Raut; UBT Sena leader responds with gratitude

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday wished Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut a speedy recovery after the latter announced that he would be stepping away from public life for the next two months due to health reasons.

Taking to X, PM Modi wrote, “Praying for your speedy recovery and good health, Sanjay Raut Ji.”
Raut responded in Hindi, saying, “Respected Prime Minister Ji, thank you! My family is grateful to you! Jai Hind! Jai Maharashtra!”

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The exchange came after Raut, a Rajya Sabha MP and one of the most vocal faces of Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, revealed that his health had deteriorated and that he was under medical treatment on Friday.

In a letter posted on X addressed to party workers, he wrote in Marathi, “Jai Maharashtra! You all have always trusted and supported me, but my health has suddenly worsened. Treatment is ongoing, and as per medical advice, I have been asked to avoid public gatherings. I am confident I’ll recover soon and meet you all in the new year. Please keep me in your prayers.”

Raut’s announcement caught many in Maharashtra’s political circles off guard, coming just months before the crucial Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. He was expected to take part in an Opposition rally in Mumbai on Saturday, November 1, against alleged manipulation of voters’ lists. He had played a key role in organising the event.

The Sena MP was admitted to Fortis Hospital in Mulund on October 13 after feeling unwell and undergoing medical tests. He was supposed to hold a press conference on Friday morning but instead took to social media to explain his absence.

Known for his sharp political commentary and staunch criticism of the BJP-led state government, Raut has long been seen as one of Uddhav Thackeray’s strongest loyalists. A former journalist, he writes a regular column in Shiv Sena’s Marathi daily Saamna and was also the writer and producer of the biopic Thackeray, starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui as the late Sena founder Bal Thackeray.