Day after release from jail, Sanjay Raut's unexpected praise for Devendra Fadnavis and a hint a meeting Modi-Shah

A day after his release after spending over 100 days in jail, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Thursday came up with unexpected praise from Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. 

He said that the new Maharashtra government has taken some good decisions and that he will not oppose them for the sake of opposing. 

“There is a new government in Maharashtra, which has taken some good decisions too. We do not oppose for the sake of opposing. Devendra Fadnavis has taken some good decisions. I read the newspaper whenever possible (in jail). Decisions such as housing for the poor deserve praise,” Raut told reporters outside his home in the suburban area of Bhandup in Mumbai.

“I will meet Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar today. I will be meeting deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in 2-4 days related to the work of people. I will also go to Delhi and meet PM Modi and Union Home minister Amit Shah to tell them what is happening to me,” he added.

While Raut's praise was limited to Fadnavis, he did not say a word about Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who he had been ferociously hitting out at for revolting against the Thackerays and joining hands with the BJP to form government. 

Looking back on his experience in jail, the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said that it was his family that had a traumatic time and suffered a lot.

“Jail time isn’t an easy time. There are huge walls inside the jail and one often talks to the walls. I often wondered how Savarkar spent ten years... how leaders like Tilak and Vajpayee spent their jail term. But whatever my family had to endure has happened,” said Raut.

He reiterated that the government of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Fadnavis is 'unconstitutional' and it's the Deputy CM who's running the show, but he endorsed some of the decisions of the new regime installed in June.

"I welcome Fadnavis' statement on how the level of politics has been vitiated," said Raut, raising eyebrows in political circles.

The Sena (UBT) MP said he will meet party President and former CM Uddhav Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar later this afternoon.

Commenting on the Congress, Raut said if his health permits he would join Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, currently traversing through Maharashtra.

The firebrand leader said that his arrest was 'illegal' and that has been said by the Special PMLA Court in its ruling on Wednesday.

"This has sent a clear, positive message across the country... My faith in the judiciary has been enhanced...," said Raut, interacting briefly with the media on Thursday.

Raut was released from the ARCJ where he spent around 101 days in connection with an alleged money-laundering case arising out of the Patra Chawl redevelopment case.