Taking a dig at Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut for criticising Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his reported comments on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Aurangzeb, BJP leader and Maharashtra minister Chandrakant Patil said Monday that Raut invents new controversies every day.
During his visit to Maharashtra’s Raigad Saturday, Shah reportedly called Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj by a single name, and allegedly referred to Aurangzeb’s tomb as a “samadhi” (memorial), sparking criticism from the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), particularly from the party’s Rajya Sabha MP Raut.
Sanjay Raut accused Amit Shah of disrespecting Shivaji Maharaj by not addressing him with due honour. He also criticised the supposed reference to Aurangzeb’s tomb as a “samadhi,” calling it historically and culturally inappropriate.
Patil defended Shah, saying that the Union Home Minister visited Raigad to pay respects on the 100th anniversary of the restoration of Shivaji Maharaj’s memorial, which deserves appreciation, not criticism. “Uddhav Thackeray’s Sena UBT wishes to join the government, but they are not being inducted, and out of that frustration, Raut is criticising Amit Shah,” Patil said.
Patil also said Amit Shah has written a 500-page book on the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, which will be published soon in Pune or Delhi. “Once Raut reads this book, he might be stunned to realise how deeply Shah has studied Shivaji Maharaj,” Patil said.
The Maharashtra minister claimed that the Shiv Sena (UBT) is facing mass defections, and warned that the party may struggle to even field candidates in upcoming municipal elections. “If the Sena UBT doesn’t convince Fadnavis ji, Shinde ji, and Pawar ji to join the government till the civic body polls, then the party won’t find any candidate for the BMC polls, forget about the other cities of the state,” he said.
On Shah’s alleged “slip” in using the word “samadhi,” Patil said it was an unintentional phrase, spoken in the flow of speech, and shouldn’t be blown out of proportion.
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On his part, Raut responded to Patil’s allegations, saying the BJP leader “doesn’t need to worry about our party”, and that no one wishes to be in power.
This is the second time that Patil has spoken about the Sena (UBT) joining the government.
In January, when Patil and Uddhav Thackeray met at a wedding function, the Sena (UBT) leader’s PA and MLC Milind Narvekar asked Patil when the two leaders would come together again. To that, Patil said, “I’m waiting for that golden moment.”
Raut had then said that many in the BJP are in favour of the two parties coming together. Adding that no official talks had taken place, he said that many in his party may also have similar sentiments.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd