I don’t read children’s literature: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis on Sanjay Raut’s upcoming book

Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Maharashtra BJP president; CM Devendra Fadnavis. Pic/Kirti Surve Parade; (right) Sanjay Raut. Pic/Atul Kamble

Two BJP leaders, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Revenue Minister Chandrashekar Bawankule, who is also the Maharashtra BJP president, took a swipe at Shiv Sena (UBT) Member of Parliament (MP) Sanjay Raut over controversial references he made about the central BJP leadership in his book ‘Heaven in Hell' (Narkatla Swarg). Asked by the media to react to the contents of the book, Fadnavis replied sarcastically, "I am at an age where I do not read children's literature."

On Saturday, May 17, the book penned by Raut, a Rajya Sabha member, which deals with the time he spent in jail following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on allegations of money laundering, will be released in Mumbai.

The book mentions the late Shiv Sena (undivided) supremo Balasaheb Thackeray coming to the rescue of the BJP leadership of Gujarat following the 2002 riots, including then chief minister Narendra Modi and state minister Amit Shah. It also has an anecdote about how then Union minister Sharad Pawar stood firmly behind then Modi, who, along with Shah, faced a lot of flak following the riots.

Taking a dig at Raut and his book, Bawankule, speaking to the media, demanded a detailed inquiry into the contents of the book. "The book contains a controversial statement on the judiciary. Hence, it needs to be investigated," the Maharashtra revenue minister demanded.

Bawankule also suggested that the title of the book should be changed from Narkatla Swarg to Narkatla Raut (Raut in Hell).

Poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar, Sharad Pawar (NCP), Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale will be present as guests for the book launch.

In 2022, Raut was arrested by the ED for his alleged links to a case involving the development of Patra Chawl in Goregaon West.

A special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court, however, later termed Raut's arrest ‘illegal', following which the Sena leader was released on bail. Raut had spent over three months in jail.