On the first anniversary of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, former CM Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut were involved in a war of words over the alleged language of threat used by the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in his interview to the party’s mouthpiece Saamna.
Fadnavis led a scathing criticism against Thackeray saying that "I haven't seen a Chief Minister who threatens opposition so much. His statements do not suit the Chief Minister's chair. It also did not befit the constitutional post he held. Stop threatening and stay away from vindictive politics. ‘’ He also called upon Thackeray to focus on governance.
Fadnavis was referring to Thackeray's interview in which he slammed the BJP without naming it for allegedly targeting his son, Aaditya Thackeray, in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case.
"If you come after families and children, then remember you have families and children too. You are not clean. We know how to set you straight, roast you," the Chief Minister said.
Few minutes after Fadnavis’ criticism, Raut took a dig at him and said, "When he was chief minister, Fadnavis had threatened that he had ''kundlis'' (details) of everybody (political opponents). What kind of language was that?"
Further, Fadnavis slammed Shiv Sena led MVA government on the two court orders one delivered by the Supreme Court on Arnab Goswami case and another by the Bombay High Court on the BMC’s action to demolish Kangana Renaut’s bungalow. ‘’Supreme Court and High Court have delivered hard-hitting orders. It looks as if the government machinery is being misused,’’ he noted.
‘’We are clearly not in line with Arnab Goswami and Kangana Ranaut but we are against the attitude of suppressing those who speak against the government,” he said. However, Raut in his reply said, ‘’How can demolition of an illegal construction be called illegal?"
On whether BJP will press for President’s Rule in Maharashtra, Fadnavis said “We are not demanding President’s rule but the two orders each by Supreme Court and High Court against Maharashtra government is an example of a breakdown of constitution machinery.” On his part, Rau lashed out at Fadnavis for demanding the President's rule in the state. ''What kind of a precedent does he want to set (by making such demand)?" Raut asked.
Raut also attacked BJP for the deployment of the central investigation agencies against its leaders. "The state government is watching the situation. Those who get sadistic pleasure from such things by playing vindictive politics, they should know such things don't go on for long," he said.
Raut was apparently referring to the searches conducted by the Enforcement Directorate at the premises of Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik in a money laundering case.
