Asked about the legal implications of physically assaulting individuals branded as dual voters, the Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha lawmaker argued that such action does not amount to a law-and-order problem
Once the squad receives information about dual voters area-wise, the joint team will handle such voters appropriately, said Sanjay Raut. File Pic
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday raised concern over potential violence after announcing that his party and the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have formed joint squads to act against alleged dual and bogus voters on polling day for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday, January 15, news agency PTI reported.
Raut’s remarks came days after a public appeal by Raj Thackeray during campaigning for elections to Mumbai and other civic bodies in Maharashtra.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS have come together in a bid to protect their Mumbai stronghold amid the growing presence of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
“We (Shiv Sena-UBT and MNS) have formed a squad which will be in action from 7 am (on January 15). Once the squad receives information about dual voters area-wise, the joint team will handle such voters appropriately,” Raut told reporters in the financial capital.
The warning comes amid high-pitched campaigning for elections to 29 civic bodies, marked by sharp exchanges between the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Sena on one side and the Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS combine on the other, particularly in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
The opposition has repeatedly raised the issue of bogus and dual voters with the state election commission, demanding rectification of alleged discrepancies in electoral rolls.
Asked about the legal implications of physically assaulting individuals branded as dual voters, Raut argued that such action does not amount to a law and order problem, PTI reported.
“Does bogus voting fit in the definition of law and order?” he questioned.
‘Marathi manus in danger because of BJP’: Sanjay Raut slams Devendra Fadnavis
Raut on Tuesday also launched a sharp attack on Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over his remarks suggesting that the “existence” of the Thackeray brothers was under threat.
During the press conference, Raut said that the Maharashtra Chief Minister should focus on his own position, asserting that the Thackeray family was capable of dealing with any threats, ANI reported.
“Devendra Bhau, don’t worry about us. The Thackeray family is capable of handling threats against them. We are not scared like you. We don’t create bogus voter lists just to win elections. We don’t distribute money as you do. You worry about yourself,” Raut said.
He added that the chief minister’s comments questioning the contribution of the Thackeray brothers towards the cause of the Marathi ‘manus’ amounted to challenging Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray.
Raut said the issue of “son of the soil” has remained relevant in Maharashtra for over six decades and claimed that the BJP gained prominence in the state only because of Bal Thackeray’s support.
“If a Marathi man is in danger, it is because of the BJP. This is why our direct fight is with the BJP,” Raut asserted.
He further said that without Bal Thackeray, the BJP would not have had a presence in Mumbai or Maharashtra.
(With PTI and ANI inputs)
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