Shiv Sena’s 60th Foundation Day, MP Sanjay Raut takes off the gloves against party defectors and the ruling dispensation. Comparing the current political atmosphere to the regimes of Hitler and Idi Amin, Raut maintains that while leaders can be bought, the party’s real strength remains on the ground.
On Democracy, Defectors, and ‘Stolen Goods’
Sanjay Raut: They possess such terrifying power, and there is a massive abuse, a total misuse of this power. In the entire world, even Idi Amin wouldn’t have misused power like this. I am talking about Idi Amin. I am talking about Hitler. Raj Thackeray had said some time ago that we should boycott elections. Yes, democracy is dead. Democracy has become a puppet in the hands of two or four people. These people are cowards; they don’t have the courage to come forward. If you have taken a decision with courage, then come forward! Instead, they have increased security Y-plus security for their homes, their children, their wives, and themselves, paid for by the public. The government is giving security to traitors.
They claim Uddhav Thackeray doesn’t meet people this is a lie. When there are no elections, Uddhav Thackeray still comes out to campaign enthusiastically for you, doesn’t he? In your respective constituencies, Uddhav Thackeray held four rallies each. After that, he always stays in touch with you. He comes to Delhi to meet you—you know he comes to Delhi to meet everyone together. If you have any problem, he calls you himself or speaks to someone on your behalf. These people are liars; it’s just an excuse. They were bought out. They were ready to sell themselves and be bought. They stood in the market, declaring they were up for sale. Everyone hung a price tag around their neck. An auction took place, and they were bought up like in the IPL, what else? I know exactly where they are right now. Where are they wandering? Just like thieves wander, changing ten locations with stolen goods, these people are wandering from here to there, leaving their homes behind.”
The 60-Year Struggle against Poaching
Sanjay Raut: No, since the day Shiv Sena was founded 60 years ago, every single day has been challenging for us. This splitting and poaching has been going on since the beginning. Whoever was in power, whether it was Congress or the BJP, they have always been afraid of us. They knew that if this organization grew, it would pose a massive challenge to them. Even when Congress was in power, our people were poached back then. They kept breaking our people, but the party kept growing. However, today’s rulers the ones in power right now are exceptionally cruel; the Congress people were not like this.
The way politics is being conducted today is about completely wiping out the opposition, destroying regional parties, and finishing off the leadership. For this, they are using central investigative agencies, money, and power. This didn’t happen back then the way it is happening today. Today, horrifying things are happening. The agenda is simply to finish everyone off so that only they remain. ‘One Party, One Nation, and One Election’ nothing else. Yet, this is a challenge, and we will sail through this too. Look, the party remains the party, even if MLAs and MPs leave. The party is on the ground; it will grow again.
The Case for Boycotting Elections
Sanjay Raut: Raj Thackeray had said a while ago that we should boycott elections. Yes, if you win elections by rigging EVMs, if you break parties using the ED and CBI, and if you buy elected representatives, then why have elections at all? Try boycotting an election just once. We also feel that this makes sense. If the entire country boycotts the elections, the whole world will find out what is happening in India. Modi ji, the Prime Minister, who travels abroad making grand speeches, the world will see how deceitful these people are.
Do you feel elections should be boycotted? Are you considering this because you have previously spoken about how votes are stolen? Vote theft is indeed happening.
Sanjay Raut: At the boycott of elections. Even after getting a new symbol, we got our people elected on that new symbol. Yet, you lure them away using the power of money. So what is the point of an election? Our people were elected by defeating the BJP and the Shinde faction, right? This is a betrayal of the public; it is dishonesty with the voters. If this is dishonesty, then such dishonesty cannot be given legitimacy in politics. And if the Bharatiya Janata Party is backing such dishonesty and wiping out the opposition from democracy, then it is better that we do not contest elections and instead take to the streets to work.
Systemic Pressure and the Shadows of History
Sanjay Raut: The point about strategy is: you have such terrifying power, and there is a total misuse of this power. In the entire world, even Idi Amin wouldn’t have misused power like this. I am talking about Idi Amin. I am talking about Hitler. Especially in Maharashtra, though I am speaking about the whole country, democracy is dead. Democracy has become a puppet in the hands of two or four people. There is no law, no constitution, no Supreme Court, no Election Commission. There is no hearing, no justice. If nothing exists, then who is running the country? Everyone is sitting as your slaves. So where will one get justice?
Look at the Meenakshi Natarajan case it is blatant cheating right in front of our eyes. In Jharkhand, one kind of justice is given, while for Parimal Nathwani and Meenakshi Natarajan in Madhya Pradesh, a different justice is given. Are there different laws? One law for the BJP and another for the Congress?
this is the law in this country, the future generation should start worrying about the country’s future right now.
You are continuously saying that elections are not being conducted fairly. But if you boycott them, won’t they just fight among themselves and win? This politics of splitting has been going on. Even when you were together in 2014, attempts to finish off Shiv Sena were ongoing. You had discussions about it back then too. Won’t a boycott be even more beneficial to them?
Sanjay Raut: No, no, it won’t be beneficial. It will humiliate them. They will face backlash across the entire world. They will be completely humiliated in the United Nations. Modi’s mask will fall off. The BJP’s mask will fall off. The world will see the kind of dictatorship running in this country—that the entire opposition is boycotting the election together. What does that signify? So, I don’t believe it will benefit them
Deceit in the Name of God
Sanjay Raut: Look, we cannot know what deceit is brewing in someone’s mind. Those who were coming forward and swearing by God online or in person… one MP swore by Sai Baba four times in a span of 3 minutes. He was online for 3 minutes, and in those 3 minutes, he swore by Sai Baba four times saying, ‘I am with you. Swear by Sai Baba, my wife is sick. Swear by Sai Baba, I am right here.’ When you take oaths in the name of God and saints to do deceitful work… someone swore by Goddess Bhavani, someone swore by their son, or their daughter who is about to get married, someone swore by their late wife. How can you trust such people? And if such people leave, it feels like it’s good riddance. We will stand tall once again. But yes, this repeatedly damages the party.
Sanjay Raut: The day their government falls, even the BJP won’t survive. Half of the BJP is just Congress anyway. In the BJP, there is BJP, then Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), then NCP (Ajit Pawar faction)—it’s all stolen goods. Stolen goods will leave immediately; they won’t last either.
Rebuffing the Allegations Against the Thackeray Family
Sanjay Raut: Uddhav Thackeray doesn’t meet people is false. When there are no elections… first of all, during the elections, Uddhav Thackeray came out to campaign for you with great fanfare, didn’t he? Uddhav Thackeray held four rallies in each of your constituencies. Afterward, he always stays in touch with you. He comes to Delhi to meet you you know he comes to Delhi to meet everyone together. Everyone sits together, eats together, talks, and he stays in Delhi for two days for you. What more should he do? If you have any problem, he calls you himself or speaks to someone. These people are liars; it’s just an excuse.
And what connection does Sanjay Raut have to this? Let me tell you, for most of the people who left, I was the one who recommended giving them candidacy. “
The Price Tags of the Political Marketplace
What do you think is the reason this time for these people leaving? Because they knew what happened in 2022. They won on the Mashal symbol. They already knew Congress was with them, and Sharad Pawar’s NCP was with them.”
Sanjay Raut The Congress is just an excuse. The Congress party is part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). You were an MVA candidate, and you received votes from Congress party voters. Back then, you didn’t say, ‘No, we won’t take Congress votes.’ This is the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Congress is with us. Rahul Gandhi came to campaign for you everywhere. From Balasaheb Thorat to Nana Patole, big leaders came to your constituencies to campaign. You went on their stages. These people are lying.
Then they should have gone to the BJP to contest the election, right? Or they should have gone to Shinde or Ajit Pawar to contest the election. If you came to Shiv Sena and became our candidate, it means you are in the opposition. You won’t get special privileges from the government.
