Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has sharply criticized PM Modi and Amit Shah, accusing them of sidelining veteran leader L.K. Advani despite his foundational role in the BJP’s rise and the Ram Mandir movement, calling the party’s behavior telling.
Sanjay Raut Criticizes BJP Leadership Over Advani
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, accusing them of sidelining veteran BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani despite his significant contribution to the party’s rise to power, and stated that the ruling party ascended to the throne in Delhi “riding on Advani’s chariot.”
Raut alleged that the BJP had forgotten the leaders who founded the party and steered it to its peak, claiming that Modi and Shah had pushed Advani to the margins after assuming power. “It is quite telling that the BJP has, in a sense, forgotten its own leaders. Or rather, it is not the BJP as a whole, but individuals like Modi and Shah who have forgotten the very leaders who founded the party and steered it to its zenith,” Raut said.
The Ram Mandir Movement and Advani’s Legacy
Highlighting Advani’s role in the Ram Mandir movement, the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said the veteran BJP leader was instrumental in launching the Ayodhya Rath Yatra and the kar seva movement. “Had it not been for Advani, there would have been no Ram Mandir movement! Without Lal Krishna Advani, the Ram Mandir movement would never have taken place. There would have been no Ayodhya Rath Yatra, nor any kar seva movement in Ayodhya,” he said.
Raut further said that Advani deserved the greatest credit for the BJP’s political rise through the Ram Mandir movement. “The path to power, paved by leveraging the name of Lord Ram for political ends, is a feat for which the greatest credit goes to Advani-sahab. The very power that Modi-ji wields today is something for which he ought to credit Advani-sahab,” he said.
Accusing the BJP leadership of sidelining Advani after coming to power, Raut said, “Once they attained power, they sidelined Lal Krishna Advani. They relegated him to a ‘warehouse’, tossed him into a dumping ground. This reveals the true intent and character of the BJP.”
Relationship with Thackeray Family
He also recalled his association with Advani and the veteran leader’s close relationship with Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray. “Advani-sahab has spent 100 years in politics. People like us have worked alongside Advani-sahab; we have always received his guidance and blessings. We served with him both while in government and while in the opposition,” Raut said.
He said Advani shared a warm relationship with Balasaheb Thackeray and frequently visited him for discussions and consultations on political decisions. Raut added that Uddhav Thackeray also maintained a close rapport with Advani and would travel to Delhi to meet him at his residence, where they shared lunches and dinners.
Political Allegations and State Issues
Aiming at the BJP over Advani’s prolonged silence, Raut said the veteran leader had endured mental anguish over the past 12 years. “Balasaheb Thackeray and LK Advani played a significant role in propelling the BJP to the pinnacle of power. The Ram Mandir movement was a massive undertaking; Advani advanced this cause through his Rath Yatra (chariot procession),” he said.
Raut said that despite Advani’s contribution to the Ram Mandir movement, he was sidelined during the tenure of the present BJP leadership. “Yet, in the era of Modi, Shah, and Fadnavis, the BJP has effectively consigned Advani, the very man who built the party, to 12 years of exile,” he said.
Referring to the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Raut said the leader who had given the movement its stature and identity had been left out. “While the Pran Pratishtha (consecration) of Ram Lalla took place at the Ram Mandir, Advani, the man who gave the Ram Mandir movement its stature and identity, has been left in exile. Advani was an ‘Iron Man’ (Lauh Purush). He was not a leader who would act at the beck and call of these individuals,” he said.
Raut also responded to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s remark that Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav should apologise before offering prayers at the Ram Temple, saying Prime Minister Modi should apologise first. “No, it is Modi-ji who must apologise first. If you once accused Mulayam Singh Yadav — ‘Netaji’ — of being responsible for ordering the firing on kar sevaks, then how can you now confer the Padma Vibhushan upon that very same Mulayam Singh Yadav? Akhilesh Yadav is the son of the leader you have chosen to honour with the Padma Vibhushan,” he said.
Raut said Lord Ram belonged to everyone and should not be associated with any particular political party. He also criticised posters portraying Modi as having “led Ram by the finger” into the temple, calling the claim an insult to Lord Ram.
On Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s announcement that ministers would celebrate Diwali at farmers’ homes, Raut said a one-day visit would not resolve the problems faced by farmers. “Celebrating Diwali for a single day will not resolve the farmers’ issues. Ministers would need to visit these homes consistently and repeatedly,” he said, describing the initiative as a performative gesture.
Raut also questioned whether the Diwali snacks served at farmers’ homes had been prepared by the farmers themselves or delivered through the Collector’s office. He further drew a parallel with the Prime Minister’s Diwali celebrations with soldiers, saying such gestures had neither stopped Chinese incursions nor prevented tragedies like Pulwama.
On the Gokul cooperative milk union controversy, Raut alleged that Fadnavis’s personal interest had facilitated appointments of directors that he described as illegal. He claimed that attempts were being made to bring back Hasan Mushrif and Mahadik, who had lost the election, to secure a majority for the election of the chairperson.
Raut said Satej Patil’s panel had won the election but alleged that the election officer reassigned two seats won by Patil’s panel to the Hasan Mushrif panel. Had this not happened, Patil’s panel would have secured 15 seats, he said, alleging that the democratic mandate was being undermined. He added that the Shiv Sena would participate in the election.
On speculation about a possible merger involving late Ajit Pawar’s party, Raut described it as an internal matter and said the decision would become clear in the future. However, he asserted that Sharad Pawar’s original Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) would not join the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). “Sharad Pawar’s original Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will, under no circumstances, align itself with the communal and anti-national NDA,” he said.
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