Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday launched a fierce attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of orchestrating a campaign to marginalise the Marathi manoos—the Marathi-speaking population—and creating a hostile socio-political environment in Maharashtra.
Raut’s sharp remarks came in the wake of an alleged attack on a Marathi-speaking family in Kalyan, Thane district. Highlighting the incident, Raut claimed it marked the beginning of a “larger conspiracy” to displace the Marathi-speaking community from key regions like Mumbai, Thane, and Kalyan.
“Attacks on the Marathi manoos have escalated since the state assembly elections. There are deliberate attempts to push them out of Mumbai and its neighbouring regions. Kalyan is only the starting point of this conspiracy,” Raut said, accusing the BJP of fostering divisions in Maharashtra.
Criticism of the Shinde government
In a pointed attack on Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Raut criticised the Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction for its “failure to protect the Marathi populace.” He accused Shinde of being subservient to the BJP and prioritising power over the welfare of Marathi manoos.
“They claim to be Shiv Sena, but their actions prove otherwise. Their desperation for power has blinded them to the struggles of the Marathi people. The BJP’s agenda is clear—to destroy the Marathi manoos and weaken their representation,” Raut asserted.
Rising crime and governance failures
Raut also blamed the state government for rising lawlessness across rural Maharashtra. He cited the recent death of 14 people in a collision between a Navy craft and a passenger ferry, as well as a surge in crimes like dacoity and murders, attributing these to “government ineptitude.”
“The state government has failed on every front—be it handling crime, addressing public safety, or ensuring justice for its people. Rural Maharashtra is suffering, but the government is busy appeasing its political masters,” Raut said.
BJP accused of favouring non-Marathi interests
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader went further, accusing the BJP of creating a socio-economic environment that favours non-Marathi-speaking businessmen while sidelining the local Marathi community. According to Raut, this shift is displacing Marathi-speaking people from their own cities, threatening their cultural and economic survival.
On BJP's divide-and-rule politics
Raut accused the BJP of weakening the Shiv Sena—the party long seen as the voice of Marathi manoos—by orchestrating a split and turning the leadership into “puppets.” “The BJP divided our party, and now they are using their version of the Shiv Sena to stay in power. But the Marathi people will not forgive this betrayal,” he warned.
Parliament scuffle and Rahul Gandhi FIR
Turning to national politics, Raut mocked BJP MPs Pratap Chandra Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput for their roles in the recent scuffle between the INDIA bloc and NDA members in Parliament. “Their theatrics deserve a prize in dramatics,” he quipped.
On the FIR filed against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi following the clash, Raut said, “It is their government, and they will continue to misuse agencies and institutions to target the opposition.”
The bigger picture
Raut’s fiery remarks signal the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s strategy to sharpen its narrative around the plight of the Marathi manoos, while taking aim at the BJP’s governance and Eknath Shinde’s leadership. As political tensions escalate in Maharashtra, Raut’s accusations have brought identity politics to the forefront ahead of key elections in the state.
