NEW DELHI: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut countered home minister Amit Shah ’s remarks on Saturday, saying that the influence of Chhatrapati Shivaji 's admirers prevails in Maharashtra, while the sway of the " Aurangabad Fan Club " holds strong in Gujarat.
He asserted that the people of Maharashtra cherished his party chief, Uddhav Thackeray , just as they adored his father and Shiv Sena founder, Bal Thackeray. Raut added that the "cronies of Aurangzeb from Gujarat” cannot extinguish the Sena (UBT), news agency PTI reported.
"This is Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's Maharashtra. Here, the writ of 'Shivaji Fan Club' runs. The writ of 'Aurangzeb Fan Club' runs in BJP and Gujarat because Aurangzeb was born there," he said.
Raut's comments followed Union home minister Amit Shah's recent remarks at the BJP's state convention in Pune, where he referred to Uddhav Thackeray as the head of the "Aurangzeb Fan Club" who was "sitting with people who sought pardon for 1993 Mumbai serial blasts convict Yakub Memon".
Shah had said, "Who is the 'Aurangzeb Fan Club'? Those who serve biryani to (26/11 terror attack convict) Kasab, those who seek pardon for Yakub Memon, those who give (controversial Islamic preacher) Zakir Naik a messenger of peace award and those who support the (banned Islamist outfit) PFI. Uddhav Thackeray should be ashamed of sitting with these people."
Raut also expressed support for the decision by chief ministers from the INDIA alliance to not attend the NITI Aayog meeting. He accused the government and NITI Aayog of being biased against non-NDA states.
"CMs of the India bloc will not go to NITI Aayog meeting. It is almost decided. Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin had earlier said he would not go, Arvind Kejriwal is in jail, Telangana CM; and there are other CMs who do not want to go because NITI Aayog is not keeping pace with the country's development. You must have seen this in this year's budget and NITI Aayog's work", Raut said.
He further accused NITI Aayog of lacking fairness in the country's development, pointing out that this bias was evident in the budget.
He asserted that the people of Maharashtra cherished his party chief, Uddhav Thackeray , just as they adored his father and Shiv Sena founder, Bal Thackeray. Raut added that the "cronies of Aurangzeb from Gujarat” cannot extinguish the Sena (UBT), news agency PTI reported.
"This is Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's Maharashtra. Here, the writ of 'Shivaji Fan Club' runs. The writ of 'Aurangzeb Fan Club' runs in BJP and Gujarat because Aurangzeb was born there," he said.
Raut's comments followed Union home minister Amit Shah's recent remarks at the BJP's state convention in Pune, where he referred to Uddhav Thackeray as the head of the "Aurangzeb Fan Club" who was "sitting with people who sought pardon for 1993 Mumbai serial blasts convict Yakub Memon".
Shah had said, "Who is the 'Aurangzeb Fan Club'? Those who serve biryani to (26/11 terror attack convict) Kasab, those who seek pardon for Yakub Memon, those who give (controversial Islamic preacher) Zakir Naik a messenger of peace award and those who support the (banned Islamist outfit) PFI. Uddhav Thackeray should be ashamed of sitting with these people."
Raut also expressed support for the decision by chief ministers from the INDIA alliance to not attend the NITI Aayog meeting. He accused the government and NITI Aayog of being biased against non-NDA states.
"CMs of the India bloc will not go to NITI Aayog meeting. It is almost decided. Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin had earlier said he would not go, Arvind Kejriwal is in jail, Telangana CM; and there are other CMs who do not want to go because NITI Aayog is not keeping pace with the country's development. You must have seen this in this year's budget and NITI Aayog's work", Raut said.
He further accused NITI Aayog of lacking fairness in the country's development, pointing out that this bias was evident in the budget.
