Sanjay Raut slams defecting Shiv Sena UBT MPs as traitors over Rs 50 crore allegation
On Friday in Mumbai, Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut launched a sharp attack against six MPs who recently defected to the rival Eknath Shinde-led faction, calling them "traitors" rather than "rebels" and alleging they accepted Rs 50 crore each to switch sides. The defecting lawmakers include Mumbai North East MP Sanjay Dina Patil, placing the political fallout directly in the city's northeast suburban constituency.
Speaking to reporters, Raut rejected the label of "rebels" for the defectors. He drew a contrast with historical figures, stating that those who lead a revolution for the country, like Bhagat Singh, Veer Savarkar, Rajguru, Sukhdev, and Ashfaqulla Khan, are the ones who deserve to be called rebels.
"These people call themselves rebels. What kind of rebels are they? Does someone become a rebel for Rs 50 crore?" Raut asked, questioning the nature of their transition. He defended his use of strong language, asking, "If we don't call a 'haramkhor' a 'haramkhor', should we call him Harishchandra instead? You are a traitor."
Raut asserted that the defectors had betrayed both the party and the public, and therefore deserved the title. He dismissed objections to his terminology, questioning if "traitor" is considered an abusive word and suggesting it should be removed from the dictionary if that were the case.
The verbal attack follows the recent defection of six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena under an initiative referred to as "Operation Tiger." The operation aimed to persuade leaders from the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction to switch sides.
The six MPs who defected are Sanjay Dina Patil (Mumbai North East), Omraje Nimbalkar (Dharashiv), Nagesh Patil Ashtikar (Hingoli), Sanjay Jadhav (Parbhani), Sanjay Deshmukh (Yavatmal-Washim), and Bhausaheb Wakchaure (Shirdi).
According to reports, these MPs had been in contact with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde before officially joining his faction. Shinde later held a press conference to officially welcome the MPs and declare "Operation Tiger" a success.
