Sanjay Raut defended his remarks against suspected rebel MPs and said no party MP has officially communicated dissent as speculation over a possible split in Shiv Sena (UBT) continued.
Sanjay Raut defended his remarks against suspected rebel MPs as speculation over a possible split in Shiv Sena (UBT) continued. | ANI
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday refused to back down from his controversial remarks aimed at suspected rebel MPs, saying the expressions he used were part of everyday political language in Maharashtra and should not be viewed as abusive.
The comments come at a time when the Uddhav Thackeray-led party is grappling with reports that some of its Members of Parliament could break away. While no formal split has been announced, the speculation has triggered a political storm in Maharashtra and prompted the party leadership to move into damage-control mode.
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Responding to criticism over his remarks, Raut said he knew when and where certain language should be used.
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“This is how it is used in Marathi. This is how it is used in Maharashtra. This is our regular language. The language that should be used, should be used. The language that is understood should be used. And when and which language should be used, I know. I am the editor of the Saamna. I know the language,” he said.
The Rajya Sabha MP also argued that the focus should be on alleged acts of betrayal rather than the words used to describe them.
“The language is not used in Parliament. If someone is dishonest, what will you do with him? You will punish him. If someone is corrupt, he takes 15 crore rupees and leaves the party, what will you do with him? Will you punish him? Tell me,” Raut said.
He also asserted that Shiv Sena (UBT) would continue to resist any attempt to weaken the organisation.
“As long as they have the capacity to do this to us… we will keep fighting,” he said.
Raut clarified that he had not held any substantive discussion with the Lok Sabha Speaker regarding reports of a possible split. He said he had only submitted a written representation seeking adherence to existing legal and procedural safeguards.
“I didn’t talk about anything. I just went to see the news that was coming. That someone is separating from our party and making a new one. This is wrong. So, I gave a letter to the Speaker. Does anyone like this come to you? I have given a caveat. So, take care of the rules and regulations. Take care of the Supreme Court’s ruling. That’s all,” he said.
On whether any MPs had officially informed the party about dissent, Raut said no such communication had been received.
“No one has officially communicated with us. Yes. We have called for a party meeting tomorrow. We have called everyone,” he said.
The controversy stems from remarks made by Raut earlier during a press conference in New Delhi, where he used offensive language while referring to suspected rebel MPs and urged the media not to edit out his comments.
Appearing alongside party MPs Arvind Sawant and Anil Desai, he had said that any leader wishing to leave the party should first resign from the position they currently hold.
“If anyone wants to go, they can resign and leave. If such reports emerge about our MPs, then they should refute them. This time, the people of Maharashtra will not remain silent,” he had said.
Following the backlash, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Anil Desai defended Raut, saying the remarks were not directed at any specific individual.
“Whatever is said, these are slang; it is not meant for anyone particularly. When an emotionally sensitive person, who has spent 50 years of his life in politics in the public sphere, speaks, such things happen. He also clarified that he wasn’t addressing any particular person,” Desai said.
Reports in recent days have suggested that seven of Shiv Sena (UBT)’s nine MPs may be in touch with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. However, there has been no official confirmation of any split.
The speculation has revived memories of the 2022 rebellion led by Eknath Shinde, when a large group of Shiv Sena legislators broke away from Uddhav Thackeray and divided the party into rival factions.
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