Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday said that the Congress is not a sinking ship. He also stressed that leaders who had left the party in the past to form separate groups should come together again to strengthen the grand old party.
He urged NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar to take the lead in this effort, saying that all should unite to challenge what he called the BJP’s “perverted” politics.
Raut’s remarks came a day after Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described the Congress as a sinking ship, adding that a sensible person would never choose to join it.
Speaking to reporters in Pune, Raut said, “If we truly want to fight against the perverted politics of the BJP, everyone must unite. The Congress party must become stronger. All the leaders who had left the Congress should first come together. If senior leader Sharad Pawar takes the initiative, it would be possible. We are a regional party and we will stand with you.”
“Even today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is afraid of the Congress. Congress was never a sinking ship,” the Sena (UBT) spokesperson affirmed.
Hitting out at the BJP, Raut said, “Show even one per cent of the work that the BJP has actually done. They were neither part of the freedom struggle nor did they take part in the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement. They were nowhere during these movements. These are cowardly people.”
When asked about reports of discontent among Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs amid talks of ‘Operation Tiger’, he said, “‘Operation Tiger’ has been carried out by Union Home Minister Amit Shah a hundred times. Breaking political parties and their leaders is a sign of a perversion of democracy.”
“This perversion has reached its peak under the current BJP leadership. However, it will also end one day. There will be a revolt against this kind of perversion in both the state and the country,” the Rajya Sabha member said.
‘Operation Tiger’ refers to an alleged political strategy and series of maneuvers reportedly led by the ruling Shiv Sena aimed at poaching leaders from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT).
Raut also accused the Election Commission of functioning like an agent of the BJP.
(With inputs from PTI)
