'Premature and misplaced’: Sanjay Raut writes to Trump over Bengal win message to PM Modi; BJP hits back

NEW DELHI: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday criticised remarks by US president Donald Trump congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the BJP’s West Bengal poll victory as “premature and misplaced”, asserting that state elections are an “internal matter of India’s federal democracy”.In a post on X tagging Trump, Raut said that “any external endorsement appears premature and misplaced” and urged the US president to adopt a “more informed and balanced view” about the elections.“As a Member of Parliament from India, I write in response to reports of your congratulations to PM Narendra Modi on the West Bengal Assembly election results. These are state-level elections — an internal matter of India's federal democracy,” Raut said.The Rajya Sabha MP further alleged that the West Bengal polls were conducted amid an atmosphere of “fear, intimidation, and systemic pressure”. He alleged there were “widespread perceptions” that the Election Commission of India did not act impartially and that its functioning appeared to favour the BJP, raising questions about “institutional neutrality”.“There are allegations regarding the extensive deployment of Central forces, which many believe created coercion rather than confidence. Senior leaders, including Mamata Banerjee, have publicly raised concerns about the fairness of the process,” he wrote.“Democracy is not just about elections — it is about ensuring they are free, fair, and credible. When serious allegations arise, they warrant scrutiny, not celebration,” Raut added.Earlier this week, the BJP secured a more than two-thirds majority in the West Bengal assembly polls, ending the 15-year rule of chief minister Mamata Banerjee. The party also retained power in Assam for a third term. A White House spokesperson on Tuesday said Trump had congratulated Modi on the BJP’s “historic and decisive” victory.Reacting sharply to Raut's latest remarks, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla hit out at Raut calling him the “joker of Indian politics” and accused Opposition leaders of trying to tarnish India’s image globally.“Sanjay Raut is the joker of Indian politics. He and Rahul Gandhi have taken a ‘supari’ to besmirch India’s image for domestic political petty battles and in Modi’s opposition they oppose the country,” Poonawalla said in a video post on X.He added that Indian democracy was being “hailed across the world”, but Opposition leaders were spreading “false narratives” over the electoral process.