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'The Congress cannot speak the BJP's words while targeting Kejriwal.'
'What is the difference between the two? Where is the unity of INDIA then?'
Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) partners are at loggerheads.
The Delhi elections campaign, where the Congress is calling Aam Aadmi Party names, is the latest instance of INDIA constituents gunning for each other.
This has resulted in a virtual split among INDIA partners, with most of the 26 alliance parties saying the Congress should not have taken on the AAP in the Delhi elections and are openly campaigning for the AAP.
In Maharashtra the Shiv Sena-UBT's Sanjay Raut announced that the INDIA partners may contest the forthcoming civic elections separately.
So is the INDIA bloc dead in all but name?
Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com asked Sanjay Raut what the future holds for the INDIA bloc.
The concluding segment of a lively two-part interview:
In Delhi, AAP and Congress are at each other's throat. As an INDIA ally what do you have to say?
I will say we all are partners and we must not cross the limit in the blame game.
We must not widen the rift between us because tomorrow if we got to come together, there needs to be cordial relations at least.
There is no problem of the Congress trading charges against Kejriwal if he is an opponent but to call him deshdrohi (anti-national) is far too much.
The Congress cannot speak the BJP's words while targeting Kejriwal. What is the difference between the two? Where is the unity of INDIA then?
Is the Congress not playing the role of big brother in the alliance?
They must play that role. They are a national player and let them concentrate on central politics, we can take care of Maharashtra.
The Shiv Sena always led from the front when we were with the BJP. We contested 171 seats and the BJP used to contest 117 seats.
The Congress must follow this strategy. The lion's share must be given to respective state parties in INDIA.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Uddhav Thackeray is not an enemy. Is there a hidden message?
Maharashtra in the past had a culture of good politics. There is no personal enmity between different political parties.
But you went to jail and it looked like personal enmity.
This happened ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power and Devendra Fadnavis too.
Politics stooped to such a low level that even family members of politicians are being dragged by different agencies in cases.
But we do not keep such feelings in our heart. Now, we feel that since Fadnavis has got the state's mandate he must use it for the good of the state.
You spoke of going alone in the civic polls and the BJP too is saying the same thing, that they are not going to contest the municipal elections in alliance with the Shiv Sena (Shinde).
Earlier too we never contested civic polls in alliance with the BJP when we were with them.
Civic polls are different compared to Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha elections.
We cannot do an alliance in local municipal elections because it will be injustice to our workers.
Every worker aspires to contest elections and they say if we do alliance with INDIA they do not get to contest in many seats of the Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha.
Our party workers want to contest elections independently and they have a point.
Does it mean you are 100 percent sure that the Shiv Sena-UBT will contest elections for local bodies in Maharashtra on its own?
This is what the feeling of our party workers is. We are getting this feedback when we meet them.
Uddhav Saheb himself is conducting those meetings and he is getting this feedback.
Are local municipal elections the Shiv Sena-UBT's last-ditch battle after you lost badly in the assembly elections?
I don't think so. The party is running for nearly 60 years and we have seen worst days than what we are seeing today.
What was the lowest point for the Shiv Sena?
Many were there, like when our leaders like Chhagan Bhujbal, Narayan Rane or even Raj Thackeray quit.
Today, we are facing an opponent who has captured the system.
All the Constitutional institutions they have taken over.
The Election Commission is with them plus money and muscle power.
They are terrorising Opposition parties and still we are standing up to fight them.
Is it a very worrying situation, and for what cause are you fighting?
We got to fight against injustice in our country, be it anytime.
Will you be taking back leaders who quit the party to join Eknath Shinde?
They are darpok (cowards).
They left because they were scared of the Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation.
How can these people not be with the BJP in such a situation? These are not Shinde men but BJP guys.
People say that after the election results the Thackeray brand which used to instill fear and respect has eroded. Do you feel brand Thackeray can make a comeback?
Yes, why not? Brand Thackeray will make a comeback.
I mean that of Uddhav Thackeray and not Raj Thackeray.
Uddhav Thackeray is the original Shiv Sena and Amit Shah gave away this original Sena to Eknath Shinde.
The BJP always feared brand Thackeray. To end this fear they finished off the Shiv Sena. They split the party.
In this situation, we lost one elections but then other elections too will come.
Sharad Pawar made a statement that Amit Shah was rescued by your party supremo Balasaheb Thackeray. How far this is true?
Sharad Pawar may be knowing the details of this particular case but what I want to say is that Balasaheb Thackeray was always a sympathiser of BJP leaders. Be it Pramod Mahajan, Gopinath Munde or even Narendra Modi.
Whenever they were in trouble Balasaheb helped them.
Do you feel that consolidation of Hindu votes led to the defeat of your alliance in Maharashtra?
Ho gaya (it happened).
The BJP always put fear in the minds of people to win elections.
Kabhi Hindu khatre mein, kabhi yeh jaat khatre mein but never they speak on developmental issues.
China has entered Indian territory and they never speak about this issue.
Even today in Kashmir Pakistani terrorists are operating but they will never speak about it.
The rupee has fallen badly compared to the American dollar. It is touching Rs 87 now. No talks on inflation or unemployment but only batenge toh katenge (divided you will die) or Ek hai toh safe hain (If (Hindus) are united they will be safe).
Are these election slogans to take forward?
When you see the state of the economy, the rupee falling, unemployment, Manipur crisis etc, there is no anger among the public. Everyone seems to be fine with whatever circumstances they are living in. Where are the Opposition parties failing?
Our voters have been brainwashed.
The BJP feels that whenever they raise the slogan 'Jai Shri Ram', nobody will hold them accountable on any other issue.
Actors like Juhi Chawla have stopped tweeting on the fall of the rupee against the dollar, comparing it to dollar underwear. She used to tweet this during Congress rule when the value of the rupee fell. Why is Juhi Chawla silent on the rupee's fall now?