‘Fadnavis Made Good Decisions’: Sanjay Raut’s Surprise Praise Day After Walking Out of Jail

A day after release from Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail, Senior Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday praised the Maharashtra government being run by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and said that the new Eknath Shinde-Fadnavis government had taken some “good decisions. ”

“A new govt was formed in Maharashtra, I welcome some of their good decisions. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis took some good decisions. We feel that the state is being run by Deputyy Chief Minister Fadnavis and he is leading the state,” he told reporters, adding he will be meeting Fadnavis in “2-4 days related to the work of people.”

Raut met his party chief Uddhav Thackeray and former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday. Speaking to the media, Raut said the former chief minister stood by his family members while he was in jail. The Rajya Sabha member claimed his arrest was political and that such kind of “vendetta politics” was not seen in the country earlier. However, he refrained from accusing the central agencies. “I will not blame any central agencies,” he said.

Raut also met Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar at the latter’s residence in Mumbai. During the meeting, he praised Rahul Gandhi’s ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra, calling it a movement to end the “atmosphere of bitterness” and unite the country. “The Bharat Jodo Yatra is a movement to unite the country and end the atmosphere of bitterness. This should be welcomed,” the Sena leader said.

The parliamentarian said he will also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, but did not give details about it.

Raut was released on bail on Wednesday three months after his arrest in an alleged money laundering case linked to a housing project in suburban Goregaon. Shortly after his release, he visited the Siddhivinayak Temple, a Hanuman temple in south Mumbai and the Bal Thackeray memorial in Shivaji Park.

Talking to reporters, Raut said the Shiv Sena faction led by Uddhav Thackeray was the “real” party that was founded by the late Bal Thackeray. He said the revolt in the party led by Eknath Shindi which led to a change in government in June, was temporary. “The saffron flag which has been fluttering atop the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) for the last 30 to 35 years will continue. Those who dare to touch it will be reduced to ashes with the ‘maashal’ (Uddhav Thackeray faction’s symbol of flaming torch),” he said.

Reacting to Raut’s release, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former minister Aaditya Thackeray said, “The tiger is back. He was put in jail, but he didn’t flee the way 40 “traitors” fled (a reference to rebel Sena MLAs).”

(With inputs from ANI, PTI)

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