Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut reacted arrogantly to leader of opposition Ajit Pawar's piece of advice to exercise restraint saying "It is better to spit than to pee in dams". Raut, on Friday, had spit on a media mike instead of replying to a question on Shiv Sena MP Dr Shrikant Shinde. The act is being criticised and condemned by politicians across party lines. However, Raut remains unrepentant and unapologetic. "Do we have a ban on spitting?" Raut asked while reacting to all-round criticism of his act.
Political parties condemn Sanjay Raut's act
Ajit Pawar, when asked by the media on Saturday about Raut's act, said, "Maharashtra has a culture and some traditions. I feel all leaders should follow it." He also added that leaders should exercise restraint while interacting with the media. He also tried to justify Raut, saying that I heard he had some health issue which is why he had to clear throat. Raut, however, reacted sharply to Pawar's advice to exercise restraint and while referring to an old statement of Pawar, when he had asked at a public meeting whether one should pee in dams if they go dry, said it is better to spit than to pee.
Many other politicians, too, have condemned Raut's statement. Leader of Congress legislature party Balasaheb Thorat, suggested that the media should stop airing such content in order to keep the public sphere clean.
After the change of government in the state, Raut had been criticising the BJP and the Shinde faction in a lowly language during his media interactions every morning. On Thursday, when he was asked to comment on Shiv Sena Shinde faction spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat's statement, he spit indicating that 'the act of spit' was his comment. He did the same thing again on Friday while reacting to a question regarding Dr Shrikant Shinde's statement that a family in Mumbai goes to cooler places abroad when the summer here is on peak.
'Media need not give publicity to such acts'
Dr Shrikant Shinde, son of CM Eknath Shinde is a Lok Sabha MP from Kalyan. About a month ago, Raut had accused Dr Shinde of having hired goons in Thane to attack him. While reacting to the allegation, Shinde had said that Raut suffers from schizophrenia. The word of war between the two leaders has been going on since then. When asked about it, Shinde too said that it is up to the media now to decide whether to give publicity to such acts. "Media needs to decide their limits now. They will also have to decide as to what they are going to show to the next generation," Shinde said.
