Raut claims ‘Delhi’s Ahmed Shah Abdali’ behind MNS attack on Uddhav’s convoy
Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday blamed Union minister Amit Shah for the attack by MNS workers on Uddhav Thackeray’s convoy on Saturday evening. He said the attack was carried out on the instructions of “Delhi’s Ahmed Shah Abdali”. Reacting to chief minister Eknath Shinde’s comment that the Saturday’s incident was MNS’s reaction to the action (attack by Shiv Sena (UBT) workers on Raj Thackeray’s convoy on Friday evening), Mr. Raut said, “After two months, we will show them what is called a reaction”.
A day after Raj Thackeray’s convoy was attacked by Shiv Sena (UBT) workers with betel nuts in Sambhajinagar district, MNS supporters retaliated by pelting Uddhav Thackeray’s convoy with dung, tomatoes, coconuts, and bangles. Following the attack on his convoy, Raj Thackeray had warned of retaliation if such incidents continued. When Uddhav arrived for a gathering of his party workers at the ‘Gadkari Rangayatan’ auditorium at Thane on Saturday, NNS workers staged a protest and hurled tomatoes and cow dung at his convoy.
Referring to the MNS workers, Mr. Raut said, “You are being made to do this. Ahmad Shah Abdali of Delhi is giving you “supari” (contact) to spread anarchy in Maharashtra. You are being used. Your leaders take the “supari” and stay silent, but you are made to fight against each other. This is not right for our state. I am not naming any party, but they are trying to mislead people as the Vidhan Sabha elections are approaching in Maharashtra.”
Earlier on August 4, while reacting to Mr. Shah’s jibe “leader of Aurangzeb fan club” at him, Uddhav Thackeray had called Amit Shah a political heir of Ahmad Shah Abdali, the Afghan ruler who defeated the Marathas in the battle of Panipat.
Mr. Raut further denied that his party had anything to do with the attack on the MNS chief’s convoy a day before on Friday.
Earlier, CM Shinde had termed the attack on Uddhav’s convoy as a “reaction to action”. “Who started it? Shiv Sena (UBT) activists targeted Raj Thackeray’s convoy in Sambhajinagar. The protest by MNS workers was a response to the actions of the Shiv Sena (UBT). Whenever there is an action, a reaction follows,” he said.
Without referring directly to the CM, Mr. Raut said if anybody blames his party for the untoward incidents, they are disillusioned. “We have already clarified that our party had nothing to do with the attack on the MNS chief. Despite that if anyone is calling it a reaction to an action, then they are confused. We will show them after two months what is called the reaction,” he said.
