Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut slams BJP, says unfortunate the party backing those who likened Mumbai to PoK

In a direct attack on the BJP, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday (September 13) slammed the saffron party for supporting those who likened Mumbai to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). Raut did not name Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut in his weekly column 'Rokhthok' in Shiv Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' but said that the BJP decided to back the actress only to win Bihar Assembly elections.

"It's unfortunate that Maharashtra's prime opposition party is standing behind those who call Mumbai as PoK and BMC as Babar Army. This is an attempt to win upper caste Rajput and Kshatriya votes [in Bihar polls]. Bihar elections are also to be won by supporting Kangana Ranaut. Even if it comes at the cost of insulting Maharashtra. This policy is unbecoming of those who call themselves 'national'. Not one Maharashtra (BJP) leader in Delhi was sad over the manner in which the state has been humiliated," Sanjay Raut said.

Raut asserted that vested interests are making systematic efforts to reduce the importance of Mumbai and they are working as part of a conspiracy to defame the city. "This is a difficult period when all Marathi people in Maharashtra should unite," the Shiv Sena leader said.

"An actress humiliates the chief minister and people of the state shouldn't react, what kind of one-sided freedom is this?" asked Raut, adding, "She [Kangana Ranaut] created drama by calling her illegal structure 'built-in Pakistan' and that a 'surgical strike' is carried out on the illegal constructions in 'Pakistan'. What sort of games are these?"

Raut also slammed Bollywood for not saying anything on Kangana's 'Mumbai feels like PoK' remark. "They should come and said that Kangana Ranaut's opinions are not that of the film industry. At least Akshay Kumar should have said that. But some people feel pain in expressing gratitude towards Mumbai. Mumbai's importance is only for earning money. For them, it doesn't matter even if someone rapes it," he wrote.