Beneath me to respond: Shinde on Raut’s ‘low-level’ comments

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday dismissed the “low-level” remarks made by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, asserting that it is beneath him to even respond to them. Shinde’s reaction follows Raut’s explosive statement earlier in the day, where he accused the Deputy CM of carrying “stolen property”–referring to his faction–to Union Home Minister Amit Shah for approval.

Shinde Contrasts Factions, Clarifies Delhi Visit

Addressing a press conference, Shinde said, “Regarding the remarks made by Sanjay Raut, my spokespersons handle those. I don’t find it appropriate to respond to such low-level comments.” He further drew a contrast between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde. “They use the language of ‘destroying,’ while we speak the language of ‘growing and developing.’ They have been hurling abuses for four years, but they are only digging a deeper hole for themselves. The people of Maharashtra stand firmly with us,” the Deputy CM added.

Clarifying the nature of the visit, he informed that he was accompanied by the six MPs who recently joined his faction and that the delegation sought the Home Minister’s support for various development projects, maintaining that the meeting was entirely apolitical. “Six MPs have recently joined the Shiv Sena. We went to meet Amit Bhai to seek his blessings and presented various proposals regarding development work in their respective constituencies. These include irrigation projects like the Krishna-Marathwada project, as well as railway, road, and rural development schemes like MGNREGA and PM Awas Yojana. Amit Bhai has assured us that he will coordinate with the relevant ministers to ensure these issues are addressed,” Shinde said.

Raut’s ‘Stolen Property’ Jibe

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut had earlier taken a jibe at Eknath Shinde, saying that his party, the Shiv Sena, is a “stolen bundle” taken from Mumbai to Delhi. “Does the rule of law still exist in this country? Eknath Shinde is roaming the streets of Delhi carrying what I call ‘stolen property,’ yet the law does not stop him. He has taken this ‘stolen bundle’ from Mumbai to the country’s Home Minister and is saying, ‘This is my stolen property. Please give it your approval.’ If the Home Minister endorses such actions, I am deeply concerned about the state of the rule of law,” Raut said.

His remarks were made in relation to Six Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs, Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav, Bhausaheb Rajaram Wakchaure, Omprakash Bhupalsingh Nimbalkar, Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh and Nagesh Bapurao Patil Ashtikar, formally joining the Eknath Shinde faction on July 6, thereby reducing Uddhav Thackeray’s strength in the Lok Sabha to three MPs and marking another major setback for the Shiv Sena (UBT) following the split in the party in 2022.

Shinde Backs Delimitation, Women’s Reservation Bills

Shinde also voiced strong support for the upcoming constitutional amendment bills. He emphasised that the Delimitation Bill is a necessity due to the massive voter surge in certain areas. “The upcoming constitutional amendment bills, such as those for women’s reservation and delimitation, will definitely be passed. Delimitation is essential because some Lok Sabha constituencies now have 20-25 lakh voters, making it extremely difficult to manage development work effectively. This will help bring better governance to those areas. “As for the women’s reservation bill, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shown the courage to finally bring it forward. For years, other parties only talked about it, and the opposition even blocked it in the past. In Maharashtra, our ‘Ladki Bahin’ (Beloved Sister) scheme has been very successful, and this reservation will further empower women and give them their rightful place in the nation’s progress,” Shinde said. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)