Desperate times call for desperate measures. And yet, just when one thought that Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) couldn’t get more desperate, its leadership pulled another embarrassing stunt. Shiv Sena leader and Uddhav Thackeray’s right-hand man, ‘naughty’ Sanjay Raut has written to the United Nations. He has demanded that 20 June be declared “World Traitors Day” on the first anniversary of his boss Uddhav Thackeray being kicked out of his own party.
In his letter, which he shared on Twitter, he recalls the massive jolt his party received on 20 June 2022, the impact of which can be seen even now. About 40 Shiv Sena (now UBT) MLAs led by rebel MLA Eknath Shinde kicked Uddhav Thackeray and camp out of his own party.
PUBLIC DEMAND!@UN@antonioguterres@UNinIndia @PMOIndia @UNICEFIndia @BJP4India @AUThackeray @unfoundation @UNHumanRights pic.twitter.com/OJ5qu28oY2
— Sanjay Raut (@rautsanjay61) June 20, 2023
“On June 20, a huge group of 40 legislators from our Shiv Sena left us after being instigated by the Bharatiya Janata Party. Each of them is said to have taken Rs 50 crores to defect. Along with them, 10 more independents supporting the Maha Vikas Aghadi government left us,” Raut writes.
He further went on to appeal, “They deserted Uddhav Thackeray who was an ailing man and underwent two major surgeries on November 12 and November 19, 2021. Each of them (the MLAs) took advantage of his illness. Hence, I am appealing to you to make June 20 World Traitors Day just as June 21 is observed as World Yoga Day. This must be done so that the world remembers traitors.”
Here’s how Sanjay Raut reacted after losing MLAs
Back in 2022 when Uddhav Thackeray was being deserted, Sanjay Raut made several daring statements and claims in a bid to project that they are unaffected by the defections.
From then to now, Raut’s fall has been quite steep. His letter to the UN shows just how hollow his statements were in 2022 and that the party is clearly powerless. Here are some of those statements made by Raut during the defection period:
‘Ready to withdraw from MVA’ claim
On 23 June 2022, Raut claimed that the party is in touch with over 20 rebel MLAs. He said that if the rebels return in 24 hours, then the Shiv Sena will discuss pulling support from the MVA.
He had also made the claim rather confidently that if it came to a floor test, the MVA coalition “will win.”
‘Street agitation’ threat
On 23 and 24 June 2022, Raut threatened street agitation against rebel MLAs. He said, “[The] Eknath Shinde faction that’s challenging us must realise that Shiv Sena workers are yet to come on the roads. Such battles are fought either through law or on the roads. If need be then our workers would come on the roads.”
‘Legal Action’ threat
On 25 June 2022, the Shiv Sena (UBT) MP threatened to pursue legal action against the Shinde faction for using Balasaheb Thackeray’s name.
“We will take legal action against those who have used Balasaheb Thackeray’s name for their self-centred politics. Those who have left cannot use our patriarch’s name,” he said.
Then-rebel MLA’s office vandalised
Shiv Sena workers vandalised the office of party MLA Tanaji Sawant in Katraj, Pune. Sawant was among the rebel MLAs.
June 2023: Defections trend continues
Meanwhile, the disappointment among leaders within Uddhav Thackeray’s party has not waned yet. The ripple effects of the downfall of UBT are being seen till as recently as yesterday.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Manisha Kayande withdrew from the party to join Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena on Monday. This came a day after former MLA Shishir Shinde resigned from the party on Sunday.
In his resignation, Shishir Shinde wrote, “It has been a year since I became the deputy leader of the party, but the leadership has not yet given me any responsibility. I have been unable to meet Uddhav Thackeray ji for 6 months now.”
Not the first bizarre behaviour displayed by Raut
If you found Sanjay Raut’s letter to the UN funny, wait till you learn about the world’s previous encounters with him.
That Abusive Call
On 28 July 2022 an alleged conversation between Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut and Dr Swapna Patker, a Marathi film producer and renowned psychologist went viral on the internet.
In the leaked audio file, the voice of a man, allegedly that of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, can be heard using extremely foul language while threatening a woman, allegedly Swapna Patkar.
During the conversation, the male speaker is heard threatening the woman with veiled threats and calling her ‘Sa*li’, ‘madharch*d’ and ‘behench*d’.
“40 bodies will arrive…”
A frustrated Raut on 25 June 2022 used these words for the rebel MLAs. “40 bodies will arrive from Guwahati and they will be directly sent for post-mortem. When bodies of these forty MLAs will arrive, they will be directly sent for postmortem in the Maharashtra Assembly,” he said.
When Raut spit on live TV twice
On 1 June 2023, a video of Sanjay Raut spitting on live TV went viral drawing ire from netizens. In the video, a reporter is seen asking Raut a question about Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Shirsat.
Raut, upon hearing his name, spits on live TV and dismisses Shirsat saying, “Who is that? I don’t know.”
On a repeat on 2 June 2023, when questioned by the media about Eknath Shinde’s son, Shrikant Shinde, he spits on live TV.
