MUMBAI: Maharashtra minister Sanjay Shirsat on Wednesday criticised Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut over his recent remarks targeting party MPs amid speculation of defections, saying such conduct was “insulting” and “not right.“Speaking in Mumbai, Shirsat said, “You must have seen him abusing. He leads a district; he’s been working for so many years… I think abusing them and insulting them in this manner was not right.”The minister said that such behaviour may have contributed to the current discontent within the party.“This must have been going on for a long time. The result is that today the MPs don’t want to be with them,” Shirsat added.His remarks came after Raut, during a press conference in New Delhi alongside party MPs Arvind Sawant and Anil Desai, made strong comments directed at MPs reportedly considering switching sides.Raut said those wishing to leave the party should first resign from their posts and seek a fresh mandate from the people.“If anyone wants to go, they can resign and leave. If such reports emerge about our MPs, then they should refute them. This time, the people of Maharashtra will not remain silent,” Raut told reporters in Delhi.Responding to the controversy, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Anil Desai defended Raut, saying, “Whatever is said, these are slang; it is not meant for anyone particularly. When an emotionally sensitive person, who has spent 50 years of his life in politics in the public sphere, speaks, such things happen. He also clarified that he wasn’t addressing any particular person.”Raut said the party leadership had worked hard to ensure the victory of its MPs and warned of action if any legislator defected.“Our MPs, for whom Uddhav ji and we shed blood and sweat, gave money, made them win elections… still if such news comes, we will not spare them,” he said.He also alleged that money had been offered to party MPs in an attempt to engineer a split.“I have information that Rs 15 crore each was delivered to the MPs, after which they boarded charter flights from three places, including Nanded and Pune. We have issued a whip for the Parliamentary Party Meeting tomorrow. Arvind ji has written to the Lok Sabha Speaker,” he said.The remarks come amid speculation over a possible split within Shiv Sena (UBT), though there has been no official confirmation from the party regarding any breakaway faction.Maharashtra is currently witnessing buzz around “Operation Tiger” amid reports that seven of the nine Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs are in touch with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and may join the ruling party. In 2022, Shinde and several MLAs had broken away from Uddhav Thackeray, leading to a split in the party.(With inputs from ANI)
