Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut Threatens Violence Over Marathi Language Issue
Shiv Sena (UBT) Member of Parliament (MP) Sanjay Raut has made a provocative statement, threatening to resort to violence in the name of the Marathi language. This comes in response to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's threat of punitive action against those violating the law over the language issue.
Raut addressed a press conference where he boldly stated, “Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, for the sake of Marathi, we will resort to violence. Do whatever you want. This is Maharashtra and it belongs to the people who speak Marathi. One hundred and six martyrs sacrificed their lives for the sake of Maharashtra, for the Marathi people.”
Raut further accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of not contributing to the formation of Maharashtra. He drew a parallel to Morarji Desai, who, as the chief minister of Bombay state, ordered the firing on Marathi agitators who were fighting for a state along linguistic lines. “Will Fadnavis follow in the footsteps of Morarji Desai?” Raut questioned.
The MP also criticized the BJP for frequently welcoming anti-Maharashtra forces and advised Fadnavis to first impose Hindi in Gujarat before attempting to do so in Maharashtra. Raut alleged that once Fadnavis’s term as chief minister ends, he would demand a separate state of Vidarbha. “Fadnavis will not speak now but once he steps down from the post of chief minister. He should keep in mind that he lives in the Maharashtra of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,” Raut warned.
Fadnavis was reportedly in shock over the reunion of the Thackeray cousins—Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray. Raut suggested that Fadnavis’s statements against Uddhav Thackeray were a result of this trauma.
Raut also announced that Uddhav Thackeray would be touring Delhi from August 6-8 and would attend the INDIA bloc meeting on August 7. “Uddhav Thackeray and (Congress leader and the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha) Rahul Gandhi spoke on the phone and Rahul invited Thackeray for the INDIA bloc meeting,” he said.
Additionally, Raut accused the BJP’s ‘urban naxals’ of inciting riots in Yavat in Pune district through their inflammatory speeches. “Now, where is the Special Public Security Act and why is it not being used against the accused?” he questioned.
These statements by Raut have added another layer of tension to the already volatile political climate in Maharashtra, highlighting the deep-seated linguistic and political issues that continue to divide the state.
