Confronting former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who had told him to mind his own party’s business, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut claimed on Wednesday that his exposé has prevented Operation Lotus and a split in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). He said he did not fear ‘anyone’s father’ and would continue to tell the truth.

The Sena (UBT) spokesperson said he refused to listen to anyone except Sharad Pawar, because Ajit had told him to stop speaking on the NCP’s behalf while blaming Raut for the misunderstanding and rumours of him quitting the party.

On Tuesday, Ajit ruled out his defection to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), pledging to work with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) till he died. He called out the editor-politician for writing an unwarranted piece in the Sena mouthpiece Saamna.

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“I don’t know who has given him the right. I will ask about it when the MVA meets. You please speak about the party you represent; speak about it in the party’s mouthpiece. There is no need for others to become the NCP’s advocate. The NCP’s spokespersons and leaders are pretty able at their job,” Ajit said, without naming Raut, on Tuesday.

Sanjay Raut

Raut refused to budge. “Why has the truth pinched him? In fact, the truth I wrote has prevented the BJP’s Operation Lotus in the NCP. Why is he blaming me for advocating the cause of the NCP and MVA? He [Ajit] had also spoken like a lawyer of the Sena when the party split [last June],” he said. “It is everybody’s duty to ensure that the MVA remains safe, not that partners are split. I am MVA’s chowkidar.”

The Rajya Sabha member said it was true that the NCP leaders were under pressure [to quit]. “Ask Hasan Mushrif, Anil Deshmukh, Jitendra Avhad and Praful Patel whether they are not under pressure…” He added that he would continue to write because he didn’t fear ‘anyone’s father’. 

In his weekly column last Sunday, Raut had said that leaders including Ajit and others were under pressure to split the NCP. He had quoted Sharad Pawar telling Uddhav Thackeray that families were being targeted and defection, if any, would be a personal call, because the NCP as a party did not want to go with the BJP. The article also referred to the omission of Ajit and his wife’s names from one of the cases being probed by central agencies.

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