In his column, Raut warned that "if we lose our place in the present political system in Delhi and Maharashtra" this would lead to the state falling apart.
The Shiv Sena has launched a broadside at the BJP over the demand for a separate state of Vidarbha and for purported attempts to undermine the importance of Mumbai by shifting out institutions to other states like Gujarat.
The Sena is opposed to BJP's stance for statehood for the Vidarbha region. It has also ranged itself against its alliance partner over the set up of a massive 10,000 MW nuclear power plant at Jaitapur in Ratnagiri district. The Sena has supported the demand made by locals for scrapping the project due to the likely impact on the environment, lives and livelihoods. Party MPs had met prime minister Narendra Modi in this regard and later, Sena president Uddhav Thackeray had voiced his support for the protesters.
"On Maharashtra day, the politics of condemnation was played out in Vidarbha. Despite a fortnight having passed, the ministers from Vidarbha did not condemn it," noted Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, while referring to how some pro-Vidarbha activists had protested on May 1, which marks the formation of the separate state of Maharashtra in 1960.
"Maharashtra is unified. Is a conspiracy is underway behind the scenes to finish off the 'rashtra' in Maharashtra? Because on the other hand, attempts are underway at the higher level to clip the wings of Mumbai," charged Raut in his weekly column in the Shiv Sena mouthpiece 'Saamna' of which he is the executive editor. The newspaper has Uddhav as the editor.
Raut demanded that chief minister Devendra Fadnavis who hails from the region convene a special one-day session of the legislature to approve a resolution that Maharashtra would stay unified. He also rued that no one from the government had condemned the pro-Vidarbha protest.
When contacted for his reactions on the piece, Raut told dna he was abroad.
In his column, Raut warned that "if we lose our place in the present political system in Delhi and Maharashtra" this would lead to the state falling apart.
Raut noted how the Modi government was planning to shift out the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (CGPDTM) from Mumbai. Similarly, the National Marine Police Academy at Palghar was shifted to Dwarka in Gujarat and the Air India headquarters was moved to Delhi.
"Fadnavis must search for an answer about what remains when these offices are shifted out of Mumbai," the column said, adding that "this is a straight attempt to reduce the global importance of Mumbai." "Is someone planning to cut off its hands, legs, ears to handicap Maharashtra because its head cannot be severed?" alleged Raut, adding that while this was being done to reduce Mumbai's financial importance, no leaders from Maharashtra were willing to speak out.
He also ridiculed the demand for a separate Vidarbha at a time when the chief minister, finance minister, energy minister and the minister of state for home hailed from the region and stressed that the demand had no public support.
He charged that the rulers in Delhi always preferred those who took a stance against Maharashtra like former Mumbai Congress strongman SK Patil, who was opposed to the creation of a separate state of Maharashtra with Mumbai as its capital and Gandhian Kakasaheb Kalelkar.
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