Balasaheb raised us like his children: Sanjay Raut hurls abuses at rebel MPs; Anil Desai reacts

Amid speculation over a possible rift in Shiv Sena UBT party Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday hurled abuses at party rebel MPs asking the media not to cut out his commentsShiv Sena UBT Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut launched a sharp attack on party MPs allegedly considering defection challenging them to resign from their posts before switching sides amid growing speculation of a possible split within the Uddhav Thackerayled partySpeaking at a press conference in New Delhi alongside Lok Sabha MPs Arvind Sawant and Anil Desai Raut expressed anger over reports suggesting that some party lawmakers could be in touch with the Eknath Shindeled Shiv SenaThe remarks come as political speculation intensifies over an alleged effort popularly referred to as Operation Tiger aimed at attracting MPs from the opposition partyRaut challenges MPs to seek a fresh mandateAddressing reporters Raut said any MP planning to leave the party should first resign and return to the electorateHe argued that the MPs had secured victory on the Shiv Sena UBT symbol and therefore owed their mandate to the party and its supportersIf anyone wants to leave they should resign first Raut said adding that party workers and voters would not remain silent if elected representatives abandoned the organisation after winning elections on its ticketThe Rajya Sabha member maintained that lawmakers should publicly deny reports of defection if the speculation was incorrectWATCH Delhi Addressing a press conference over speculations of a split in the party Shiv Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut hurls abuses at suspected rebel MPs asks the media not to cut out his comments pictwittercomeJUk8rINO1mdash ANI ANI June 17 2026Heated remarks mark press conferenceThe press conference witnessed emotional exchanges as Raut criticised those allegedly considering a political switchFollowing his remarks Lok Sabha MP Anil Desai sought to explain the comments saying they reflected Rauts emotional reaction to the situation rather than a personal attack on any individualDesai said political workers who have spent decades building an organisation can sometimes react strongly when confronted with reports of internal dissent He added that Raut had not targeted any specific person during the interaction with the mediaThe episode highlighted the tensions within the party as leaders attempted to counter growing rumours of a rebellionWATCH Delhi Addressing a press conference over speculations of a split in the party Shiv Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut hurls abuses at suspected rebel MPs asks the media not to cut out his comments pictwittercomeJUk8rINO1mdash ANI ANI June 17 2026Allegations of financial inducementsRaut also repeated allegations that money was being offered to MPs in an attempt to engineer a split within Shiv Sena UBTWithout presenting evidence he claimed that some lawmakers had been promised substantial sums and alleged that chartered aircraft had been arranged to transport them from various locations including Nanded and PuneAccording to Raut the party had already initiated measures to respond to any attempt at defection including issuing a whip for a parliamentary party meeting scheduled for June 18He also referred to efforts by party leaders to engage with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla regarding reports of a possible breakaway groupParty leadership moves to prevent splitThe Sena UBT leadership has stepped up efforts to maintain unity as speculation about a possible rebellion continuesArvind Sawant has already written to the Lok Sabha Speaker urging him not to recognise any faction claiming to represent the party without first hearing the official leaderships positionThe party has also called a meeting of all its Lok Sabha MPs in New Delhi on June 18 to discuss the evolving situation and assess support within its parliamentary ranksLeaders have maintained that no MP has officially informed the party of any decision to leavePolitical uncertainty continuesThe latest developments come against the backdrop of reports suggesting that several Shiv Sena UBT MPs may be in contact with leaders from the Eknath Shindeled Shiv SenaThe speculation has drawn comparisons with the 2022 rebellion that led to a split in the undivided Shiv Sena and dramatically reshaped Maharashtra politicsDespite the rumours no official announcement regarding a breakaway faction has been madeRaut asserted that the party would continue its political and legal fight against any attempt to weaken it and emphasised his loyalty to the organisation and its leadershipWith key meetings scheduled in Delhi and political tensions continuing to rise attention is now focused on whether the parliamentary party meeting will clarify the situation or deepen concerns about a possible split within Shiv Sena UBTWith inputs from ANI