Barely a few months after the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress took over the reins of Maharashtra in a newly founded alliance, there seems to be trouble between the new friends. The discord is on a comment made by Sena MP Sanjay Raut on former prime minister and Congress President, Indira Gandhi. Congress leader Milind Deora has now reacted on it.
In an interview to the Lokmat Media group on Wednesday, Sanjay Raut mentioned that Indira Gandhi used to meet former underworld don Karim Lala, who was active during the 1960s and 1970s in Mumbai.
Known as a major underworld kingpin, Karim Lala was one of the three top underworld dons of Mumbai in his time. The other two were Haji Mastan and Varadarajan Mudaliar. He was involved in smuggling, narcotics, gambling and extortion for over two decades. He died in 2002 at the age of 90.
“There was a time when Dawood Ibrahim, Chhota Shakeel, Sharad Shetty would decide who will be Mumbai’s police commissioner and who will sit in Mantralaya (state secretariat). When Haji Mastan came to Mantralaya, the entire secretariat would come down to see him. Indira Gandhi used to meet Karim Lala in Pydhonie (in south Mumbai),” said Mr Raut, who is a Rajya Sabha member also.
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Congress, has not found the remark in good spirit. On Thursday morning, Congress leader Milind Deora, voiced his strong objection to the comment and demanded that the Sena leader take back his words.
“Indira ji was a true patriot who never compromised on India’s national security. As former Congress Mumbai president, I demand that Sanjay Raut-ji withdraws his ill-informed statement. Political leaders must show restraint before distorting the legacies of deceased Prime Ministers,” Milind Deora tweeted.
Indira ji was a true patriot who never compromised on India’s national security.
As former @INCMumbai President, I demand that @rautsanjay61 ji withdraws his ill-informed statement.
Political leaders must show restraint before distorting the legacies of deceased Prime Ministers
— Milind Deora मिलिंद देवरा (@milinddeora) January 16, 2020
Apart from him, Maharashtra Congress leader, Sanjay Nirupam, has also warned Raut to withdraw his comment. “It would be better if Mr Poet of Shiv Sena continues reciting light-hearted poetry of others to entertain Maharashtra. If he propagates against former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, he will have to repent. He should take back his statement against Indira.”
The Shiv Sena leader, however, maintained that he has not said anything disrespectful. “The respect that I have always shown towards Indira Gandhi, Pandit Nehru, Rajiv Gandhi & the Gandhi family, despite being in opposition, nobody has done it. Whenever people have targeted Indira Gandhi, I have stood up for her,” he said.
This isn’t the first time that the allies have disagreed on delicate topics. On Monday, the Sena skipped a Congress-led opposition meet to discuss the controversial citizenship law, saying it wasn’t invited. The Congress has also been upset that the Sena voted with the BJP-led government on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Lok Sabha.
Earlier when Rahul Gandhi had said in a rally that his name is not Rahul Savarkar, but Rahul Gandhi, Sena had taken offence to this. Sanjay Raut had hit out at the Congress MP for “insulting a Hindutva icon”.