BJP can never think of attacking Shiv Sena Bhavan, says Sanjay Raut

New Delhi: Shiv Sena's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Monday (August 2) reacted to BJP leader Prasad Lad's remark saying the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) can never think of attacking Shiv Sena Bhavan. 

The BJP leader earlier stated to have said that if needed, the Shiv Sena Bhavan, the headquarters of Thackeray-led party in central Mumbai, would be demolished.

Issuing rebuttal on Prasad Lad's remark, Raut told ANI, "BJP can never think of attacking Shiv Sena Bhavan. These people are not from BJP. There are some outsiders, some export-import material. These people will take down BJP in Maharashtra. We don't accept this apology."

"The end is near for the BJP in Maharashtra because of the way they are behaving. Whosoever has looked scornfully towards Shiv Sena Bhavan, their leaders and their party were washed away in the gutters of Worli," said the Shiv Sena's editorial mouthpiece, Saamana.

`Shiv Sena Bhawan Todenge` such talk by some degenerate BJP people and clapping on it by Marathi leaders sitting on stage, is this not a traitor to Marathi pride, the Shiv Sena said, adding "Many people having political differences with Shiv Sena, challenged Shiv Sena from time to time. But Shiv Sena stood on those challenges, however, those political opponents never talked about demolishing Shiv Sena Bhavan.`"

Notably, Shiv Sena Bhavan has a statue of Balasaheb Thackeray as well as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. His saffron flag is hoisted at the Bhavan. 

While speaking regarding his statement and apologising for it, Maharashtra BJP leader Prasad Lad said, "Yesterday our office was being inaugurated in Mahim. I had received phone calls from many Police personnel who requested that Nitesh Rane and I shouldn`t go there or at least not take out a rally if we go."

He further said, "In my address, I had said that when we come to Dadar-Mahim, then such huge police security is deployed here as if we are going to attack Shiv Sena Bhawan. I have apologised for the statement." 

On Sunday, laying the foundation stone of a redevelopment project in Mumbai along with NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said, "We`re now used to hear criticism but we`re not scared of criticism anymore...We`ve started responding well and strongly to those criticisms, we have started slapping back. We`ll give such tight slaps, that the other person will never get up." 

Former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, who is BJP's Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, told reporters that there is absolutely no room for destructive politics in the party, adding “We don’t believe in ‘tod-phod’ politics. It is not part of BJP culture.”

(With Agency Inputs)