Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 1 : Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on Sachin Ahir after the MLC switched over to Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, accusing him of abandoning the party for "greed" despite having received support from the party.
Speaking to ANI, Raut pointed to the posts Ahir had held over the years, stating, "He has received everything. Sachin Ahir was made an MLC, made the deputy leader of the party, and appointed as the working president of the Kamgar Sena. What else should anyone be given?"
"There is something called integrity, in politics as well as in personal life. He has been a very close associate of Aditya Thackeray ji. So, he cannot even claim that he wasn't able to meet Thackeray. But now greed has grown so much, the hunger in politics has increased so much, that there is no value left for integrity and loyalty. So it's fine, let it be," he added.
Sachin Ahir's move comes a week after six Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs crossed over to the Shinde camp as part of what the Deputy Chief Minister called "Operation Tiger." Ahir also filed his nomination for the post of Deputy Chairman of the Maharashtra Legislative Council as the Shiv Sena candidate since his switch on June 30.
When asked about rumours about a possible defection of further MLAs, Raut brushed off the speculation, sharing his belief that the MLAs remain loyal to the party.
"These rumours keep floating. We will see, but we believe that all the MLAs are loyal to the party," he said.
When asked further on whether trust within the party was broken after the recent setbacks, Raut rejected the suggestion.
He launched an attack on Eknath Shinde, accusing him of running his faction only with the help of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah and claimed that the recent developments are due to pressure from Shah as well.
"No, it is not like that. First of all, Eknath Shinde stole the party. The party does not belong to him. Since when did he become the owner of Shiv Sena? The symbol is not his. His party is running by the grace of Amit Shah, and all this defection is happening under Amit Shah's pressure. The day they lose power, they will be left nowhere," he said.
The recent development has reduced former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's strength in the Lok Sabha to three MPs and marked another major setback for the Shiv Sena (UBT) following the split in the party in 2022.