Act against 'pervert' Raut: Sambhaji Bhide to Shiv Sena

Controversial Hindutva leader Sambhaji Bhide on Friday said the Shiv Sena should take action against its senior leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut for disparaging comments against the descendants of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

On Wednesday, Raut had said former Satara Lok Sabha MP Udayanraje Bhosale, an NCP-turned-BJP leader, should give proof that he is a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji, and asserted no one has ownership rights over the Maratha warrior king.

Bhosale, 13th direct descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji, had earlier hit out at the Sena for using "Shiv" in all its endeavours.

Bhide's Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan had called a shutdown in Sangli on Friday against Raut's comments, and several of its workers held a demonstration near a statue of the Maratha emperor.

"Our agitation is not against Shiv Sena but against the pervert Sanjay Raut," Bhide said.

Bhide also condemned the publication of a book comparing Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the Maratha king.

"Aaj Ke Shivaji: Narendra Modi", written by BJP leader Jay Bhagwan Goyal, has been criticised by opposition parties as a sycophantic effort that demeans the legend of Chhatrapati Shivaji.

"Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is incomparable," Bhide said.

When asked about why a protest was being held in Sangli when Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is in the district, Bhide reiterated his outfit had nothing against the Sena.

"We want the Shiv Sena to expand. We want the party to take action against Raut," he stressed.

Bhide, a former RSS activist, is an accused in the January 1, 2018 Bhima-Koregaon caste violence case.