MUMBAI: A day after Union home minister Amit Shah referred to the "politics of betrayal" practised by Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and NCP (Sharad Pawar group) chief Sharad Pawar, party MP Sanjay Raut hit back on Monday. "The BJP, which has formed a govt with traitors, is pointing fingers at others. Calling Uddhav Thackeray a traitor is an insult to Balasaheb Thackeray. Those who clapped after this statement insulted Maharashtra," said Raut.
"Sharad Pawar spent his entire life doing politics and social work. He was honoured with a Padma Vibhushan. There may be some people who come from outside Maharashtra and insult our leaders. Has the public liked this? Those who are clapping should be ashamed," he added. Speaking in Shirdi on Sunday, Shah said, "The electoral victory in Maharashtra buried the politics of betrayal started by Sharad Pawar in 1978 and carried forward by Uddhav Thackeray in 2019."
Meanwhile, Raut reiterated the need for dialogue in the India alliance and said no alliance can succeed without dialogue. He added as the largest party in the alliance, it was the responsibility of the Congress to take things forward. He said the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance collapsed in 2019 because dialogue stopped.