Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday questioned the motive behind MNS chief Raj Thackeray extending “unconditional” support to the BJP, claiming “some file might have been opened”.
“Now what kind of miracle has happened suddenly, we should ask this from him (Raj Thackeray). You have suddenly turned around and are supporting the enemies of Maharashtra, what will you tell the public? What is the reason behind this? Which file has been opened?,” he said today.
Raj Thackeray, the estranged cousin of Uddhav Thackeray, on Tuesday extended unconditional support to the ruling alliance of BJP, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP.
At an event in Maharashtra on Tuesday, Raj Thackeray said his party’s support is only for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the NDA alliance.
“Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) unconditionally supports the grand alliance of ‘BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP. This support is only for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the NDA alliance. Now everyone should prepare for the elections,” Raj Thackeray said.
He said he had had a close relationship with the BJP since the 1990s, when the party formed an alliance with the undivided Shiv Sena. He also claimed that he was the first to say that Narendra Modi should be the prime minister of India.
“Shiv Sena had formed an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party around 1990. After that my closeness increased with BJP, I had good relations with Gopinath Munde, Pramod Mahajan. I went to Gujarat and established relations with Narendra Modi (the chief minister of Gujarat at the time). After coming back from there I was asked how Gujarat is. I said development is taking place in Gujarat, but Maharashtra is much ahead. I was the first person in the country who said that Narendra Modi should be the prime minister of the country,” Thackeray said.
Raj Thackeray also claimed he never made personal comments against PM Modi.
“The first tweet supporting Article 370 was mine. I am going to the rally in support of CAA NRC. I never made personal comments. I did not comment the way Uddhav Thackeray and Sanjay Raut are commenting about Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India is the youngest country in the world, it is expected from Modi ji to leave everything and focus on the youth of the country. This is the future of the country,” Raj Thackeray added.
Also read: Mixed reactions in BJP to Raj’s potential tie-up with party
The Congress on Tuesday attacked Raj Thackeray, saying a tiger had become a lamb.
“When Raj Thackeray visited Delhi, it was evident that he would go with the BJP. But we did not expect that a tiger would turn into a lamb so soon. Will a fighter like Raj Thackeray become a slave?” Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar said.
With inputs from PTI, ANI
