Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said on Thursday that the opposition parties will resist the proposed delimitation bill, but if the government includes the amendments it has proposed, they will sit together and think about it.
He was speaking to reporters in Nagpur ahead of the Sena’s (UBT) ‘Ram Raksha Andolan’ on Saturday against the alleged misappropriation of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Notably, Congress Party (SP) working president Supriya Sule said on Wednesday that if the delimitation bill – a key legislative agenda of the NDA government – is based on a uniform 50 per cent increase in seats in all states, “there will be little reason to oppose it”. But she stressed that any decision on supporting such a proposal would not be taken except after discussions within the opposition India bloc.
The government intends to introduce the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill that proposes to raise Lok Sabha seats to 850 and begin delimitation in the monsoon session of Parliament from July 20.
Responding to a query about Sule’s comments, Raut said there is no decision yet on whether the bill will be brought up in this session or not. “When the bill comes, we will all sit down and decide, and a collective decision will be made on what to do.”
“But the news you are spreading today that the party (NCP-SP) will split and MPs and MPs will be polarized to show their majority, and things like that have no basis,” he added.
The Rajya Sabha member further said that they will oppose the demarcation bill, but if necessary amendments are made to it as they have suggested, the opposition can “think about it”.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recently targeted Uddhav Thackeray over the ‘Ram Raksha’ party protest announced by the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief. He said that organizing an agitation without knowledge of Ram Raksha (a Sanskrit hymn of praise dedicated to Lord Ram) is not appropriate.
Asked about Fadnavis’s remarks, Raut said the issue is not about whether one knows Ram as a Rakshasa, but they should respond to the “theft” of donations from the Ram temple.
“Whether we want to recite Ram Raksha, how we want to recite, we will look at that… Don’t tell us. The question for you (Fadnavis) is – There was a theft in the Ram temple and a donation box from… $550 crores were stolen. In the last 12 years approx $13 thousand crores have been looted, do you accept that or not?”
“They do not answer these questions. Whether we know Ram Rakshasa or not, we will show you. But can you talk about your people who were involved in the theft in the Ram temple?” Raut asked.
Asked about reports that the BJP was gearing up to celebrate Fadnavis’s birthday (on July 22) at the venue where Thackeray’s ‘Ram Raksha’ program is scheduled to be held, Raut hit out at the Prime Minister.
He said there was no such public meeting of Thackeray scheduled in Nagpur, and quipped that if Fadnavis’s birthday was considered more important than the theft of the Ram temple or the prestige of the temple, the Opposition would also be willing to participate in the celebration.
“We will do it (Ram Raksha programme) in front of the temple or nearby roads. We have held discussions with the temple authorities. We will decide where to implement the programme. We will set up a small platform in front of the temple and Uddhav Thackeray will address the people,” he added.
On urging Fadnavis to participate in the ‘Ram Raksha Andolan’, Raut said since the program was scheduled near the Prime Minister’s residence here, the Sena (UBT) thought it was its responsibility to invite him, “if not as the Prime Minister, then as a devotee of Ram”.
“We will also invite officials of RSS and other Hindutvawadi organisations,” the Rajya Sabha member said.
He also said that Govind Dev Giri Maharaj, treasurer of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirth Kshetra Trust, should be investigated in the ongoing probe into Ram temple funds.
Asked about Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leader Jayant Patil’s meeting with Fadnavis on Tuesday night and speculations about Sharad Pawar’s party joining hands with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led Bharatiya Janata Party, Raut said as per his information, Patel had gone to meet the chief minister on an issue related to his constituency.
Patel is an important member of the Nationalist Congress Party (SP) and a key leader of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi. He said: I don’t find any of what you say to be true.
Raut claimed that rumors about the Sena (UBT) and the Nationalist Congress Party (SP) were spread by the ruling Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena party to divert attention from key issues.
The Sena (UBT) leader said he had spoken to Sule and she would clarify this at a press conference on Thursday.
Raut also raised concerns about the health of activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is observing an indefinite fast at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.
He added, “His health is deteriorating, and this should be a matter of great concern to everyone.”
The Cockroach Janta Party has been staging a protest for over 25 days, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the NEET exam. Wangchuk joined the agitation on June 28 and has been on an indefinite fast since then.
