In the midst of an escalating conflict between Shiv Sena and UBT Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, Sanjay Raut, a prominent Shiv Sena leader, criticized the Maharashtra Government for its role in the demolition of UBT Sena Shakha in Mumbra. Raut's comments extended to censuring the Maharashtra Police for perceived inaction during the incident.
Addressing a press conference, Raut expressed his discontent with the situation, questioning the police response during the demolition: "The way in which the bulldozer was run over in Mumbra, will we keep watching? When the bulldozer was being run over our Shakha, were the police sleeping?" Asserting the Shiv Sena's commitment, he declared, "We are also Shiv Sena. We have the DNA of Bala Saheb Thackeray; we are not bogus... We will go to Mumbra in the evening."
The recent tensions erupted between Shiv Sena and Uddhav Sena following the Shinde faction's demolition of a 25-year-old Shakha of the Shiv Sena in Mumbra on November 2. This incident added fuel to the ongoing verbal clashes between the two factions that intensified after the split of Shiv Sena and the subsequent merger of the Shinde faction with BJP.
Earlier, Sanjay Raut took a dig at Union Home Minister Amit Shah, advising him to focus on his party's activities. Raut confidently predicted the BJP's defeat in the upcoming elections in the five states, stating, "BJP is going to lose elections in the five states. INDIA bloc leaders are capable of handling the alliance." He emphasized that the INDIA alliance, formed for the Lok Sabha elections of 2024, would resume meetings after the state assembly polls.
"In the states with elections like Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh, Congress is the number-one party. If we do not defeat the BJP in the assembly elections, how will we prepare for the Lok Sabha elections? After the completion of elections in five states, meetings of the INDIA alliance will take place again," added Sanjay Raut. The political landscape in Maharashtra continues to witness verbal sparring and strategic maneuvering amid these unfolding developments.