Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday called on senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to resolve the differences over the Savarkar fracas which threatened to spoil relations between the two parties.
After emerging from the meeting, a relaxed Raut tweeted: “Met Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi today. Discussed several crucial issues with them in detail. Everything is fine There’s nothing to worry about.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Raut had met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on the same issue that had driven a chasm among the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies Congress, Nationalist Congress Party and Shiv Sena (UBT) in Maharashtra.
After today’s meeting followed by his telling tweet, state political circles indicate that the crisis between the Congress-Sena (UBT) may have blown over and the relations would return to normal.
Taking a tough stance over Gandhi’s utterances, the Sena (UBT) had boycotted an Opposition leaders’ meeting convened by Kharge in New Delhi.
Subsequently, NCP President Sharad Pawar had unofficially intervened to defuse the crisis, hinting that it could have a fallout on the MVA unity in Maharashtra.
Several senior Congress, NCP, Sena (UBT) and other Opposition parties had also expressed views that the fight is with the Bharatiya Janata Party and how Savarkar is a non-issue.
Reacting to the day’s development, Mumbai BJP President Ashish Shelar said that mere words by Pawar are not sufficient.
“If Pawar has genuine respect for Swatantryaveer Savarkar, then the NCP should organise a big programme in his honour or take out processions in the state,” Shelar demanded.
Taking strong umbrage at Gandhi’ comments on Savarkar last week, Sena (UBT) President and ex-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had said that Savarkar is like a ‘deity’ of Maharashtra and no adverse remarks against him would be tolerated.
As the controversy boiled, the ruling Shiv Sena Chief Minister Eknath Shinde last week announced that his party would take out Savarkar processions all over the state soon.
