Mumbai/New Delhi: The Shiv Sena (UBT) held a press conference steered by Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut and displayed its three Lok Sabha members still loyal to the party, Anil Desai, Arvind Sawant and Rajabhau Waje, in Delhi on Wednesday. Reminding everyone how the remaining six Lok Sabha members had taken the name of Balasaheb Thackeray to swear their loyalty to the party just a couple of days ago, Raut hurled abuses at the “defectors” during the press conference. Overcome by emotion, Waje shed tears even as Raut praised him for his loyalty and dedication.
Raut on 'Operation Tiger'
Raut said that ‘Operation Tiger’ would not be easy. He said that MPs from the state were being bought and sold and that the MPs had refused to even sit in the chartered flights to Delhi unless they were paid an advance of Rs 15 crore from the Rs 50 crore promised. He claimed Dharashiv MP Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar was offered a favourable verdict in his father’s 20-year-old murder case to switch — the ruling, originally due on Tuesday, was pushed to Saturday.
Loyalty oaths and warnings
Raut said that in the meeting with Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday, the MPs swore in the name of their children, wives, Saibaba, goddess Tulja Bhavani and Balasaheb Thackeray that they were loyal to Uddhav Thackeray. Raut said if any of these MPs still defect, then the people of Maharashtra will not remain silent anymore. He challenged those who wanted to go to resign and leave the party and re-contest the election.
“We have not received any official information about any such developments. We are seeing and hearing all this through you (the media),” Raut said. Raut said the party had started a legal battle with Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla and issued a whip to all MPs for a parliamentary party meeting on Thursday. Raut, Sawant and Desai met Birla on Wednesday and handed him a letter arguing that a “group” cannot merge.
“I don’t know where exactly the MPs whose names are currently appearing in the media are. Some say they are in Delhi, some say they are in Mumbai, and some are in their constituency,” he said.
Defending language
Raut defended the language he used for the suspected rebel MPs on Wednesday, saying such language is part of “regular usage in Maharashtra” and asserted that he is aware of what language to use when. “I am the editor of Saamna, I know the language,” he said. “Only the language a person understands should be used. I have not used this language in Parliament. What will you say about a person who leaves a party by accepting Rs 15 crore? Will you shower flower petals on such a person?”
Raut used the words “ye s*le b******ke log, jo jaa rahe hai” to define defectors, and in an OTT-style emphasis, said to a reporter: “Don’t cut it, run it.” He branded the suspected rebels “cowardly foxes”. Just a couple of days ago, Raut had claimed that nobody was defecting, insisting a “wrong picture is being painted” and that all MPs remained “100% with Thackeray”.
Rival camp reaction
The rival camp pounced on Raut’s contradictory behaviour. Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat said the UBT’s “internal situation is unstable”.
