‘Sanjay Raut eats from Uddhav Thackeray’s hand, but works for Sharad Pawar’; Shinde camp Minister’s remarks sparks furore in Maharashtra Assembly 

Dada Bhuse. File
| Photo Credit: Vivek Bendre

Maharashtra Minister and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction leader Dada Bhuse on Tuesday remarked that while Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Sanjay Raut “ate from Uddhav Thackeray’s hand, his loyalties lay with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar”.

Mr. Bhuse’s statements in the Legislative Assembly sparked a furore among the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders — especially the NCP and the Shiv Sena (UBT) — who demanded the former’s apology for ‘denigrating’ Mr. Pawar.

“Sanjay Raut is a person who eats the bhakri (bread) of ‘Matoshree’ [Uddhav Thackeray’s residence], but does Sharad Pawar’s chakri (work or bidding),” said the Shinde faction leader.

Speaking in the Assembly, Mr. Bhuse dared Mr. Raut to resign from his post in the Upper House of the Parliament, stating that he could become a Rajya Sabha MP only because of the votes of the MLAs from the Eknath Shinde faction, whom Mr. Raut habitually taunted as ‘traitors’, in the wake of Mr. Shinde’s revolt and the Shiv Sena split.

Verbal duel

The verbal duel between Mr. Bhuse, who is an MLA of the Malegaon Outer Assembly constituency (in Nashik district), was triggered after Mr. Raut, in a tweet, accused Mr. Bhuse of collecting shares worth ₹178.25 crore from farmers in the name of a company, whose website displayed information to the contrary.

Mr. Raut’s accusation of alleged irregularities on Mr. Bhuse’s part riled the latter, who said he would quit politics, if found guilty.

“But if the allegations against me are proven wrong, then Sanjay Raut should quit as Rajya Sabha MP and editor of Saamana [mouthpiece of Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena],” said Mr. Bhuse.

Ever since the June ‘coup’ last year where present CM Eknath Shinde split the Shiv Sena and toppled Mr. Thackeray’s MVA government, the Shinde faction of 40 MLAs have held Mr. Raut as being responsible for compelling them to take the extreme step of splitting their party.

Mr. Raut, the bete noire of the Shinde group, has been accused by the Shinde faction of his extreme affinity towards NCP chief Sharad Pawar and for causing the destruction of his own party (the Shiv Sena). The ‘rebels’ have resented Uddhav Thackeray’s excessive leaning on Mr. Raut.

The other reason for Mr. Bhuse’s ire is Mr. Thackeray’s upcoming tour of Malegaon on November 26. The former is particularly concerned of the rising Muslim support for Mr. Thackeray, given that Malegaon has a significant minority population.

Nothing ‘derogatory’

Meanwhile, NCP leader and Leader of the Opposition, Ajit Pawar, objected to Sharad Pawar’s reference to Mr. Bhuse’s statements, and demanded that the Shinde camp Minister’s remarks be expunged from the record.

In response, Mr. Bhuse stuck his ground and claimed he had said nothing ‘derogatory’ about Mr. Pawar.

Speaking in Delhi, Mr. Raut lashed out at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shinde faction, stating that the BJP was only intent on seizing power at any cost.

Mr. Raut questioned the Shinde-Fadnavis government as to why the Maharashtra civic polls were being delayed.

“It appears that this country is only running for BJP’s benefit. The party is talking of holding Lok Sabha and Assembly elections at the same time. This presumably is to benefit the BJP. Things that were unprecedented in the country’s history are happening today…The whole of the BJP is working to save one industrialist [Gautam Adani]. The party founded by Bal Thackeray [Shiv Sena] has been split and handed over to a splinter group [Shinde faction] by means of a deal,” said Mr. Raut.

He further said that the whole of north Maharashtra was gearing up for Uddhav Thackeray’s rally in Malegaon in Nashik on March 26.