Sanjay Raut Criticizes Maharashtra Government Amid Political Turmoil
In a recent outburst, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has sharply criticized the Maharashtra government led by Eknath Shinde, accusing him of parading stolen property in Delhi. Raut's comments come amid a significant political shift, with several MPs from his party joining Shinde's faction, reducing Uddhav Thackeray's representation in the Lok Sabha. He also condemned the BJP's demands for religious rituals while urging them to address serious allegations of financial misconduct related to the Ayodhya temple. This situation raises pressing questions about the state of law and order in Maharashtra.
Jul 15, 2026, 13:40 IST
Sanjay Raut's Strong Remarks Against Eknath Shinde
Sanjay Raut, a leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT), expressed sharp criticism of the Maharashtra government led by Eknath Shinde on Wednesday. He accused Chief Minister Shinde of parading stolen property on the streets of Delhi. These comments surfaced while Deputy Chief Minister Shinde was in Delhi for a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Speaking to the media in Mumbai, Raut raised concerns about the law and order situation, labeling the Shinde faction as a 'stolen bundle' brought from Mumbai to Delhi.
Raut questioned, 'Is there still the rule of law in this country? Eknath Shinde is walking around Delhi with what I call stolen property, yet the law does not stop him. They have taken this 'stolen bundle' to the Home Minister and are asking for approval, claiming it is their property. If the Home Minister endorses such actions, I am deeply worried about the state of law and order.'
His remarks came after six Lok Sabha MPs from Shiv Sena (UBT)—Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav, Bhausaheb Rajaram Wakchoure, Omprakash Bhupalsingh Nimbalkar, Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh, and Nagesh Bapurao Patil Ashtikar—joined the Shinde faction on July 6. This shift has reduced the number of MPs from Uddhav Thackeray's party in the Lok Sabha to three, marking a significant setback for Shiv Sena (UBT) since the party's split in 2022.
Raut also criticized the BJP's demand for Uddhav Thackeray to recite the 'Ram Raksha' prayer, urging the ruling party to instead address allegations of financial irregularities related to the Ayodhya temple. He stated, 'No, I will not recite it. First, tell me, do you know the prayer? Instead of asking that, discuss the alleged theft of ₹5,500 crores from the Ram temple donation box. Whenever we raise this issue, they ask if we know the prayer. Talk about whether you are involved in that alleged theft... These people have brought Lord Ram to the streets.'
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