Maharashtra BJP calls Sanjay Raut 'apology warrior', targets him over SC proceedings and SIR row

The Maharashtra BJP has criticised Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut after the Supreme Court said he would have to explain his conduct while considering a plea challenging alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision SIR of electoral rolls The party also questioned Rauts position on several pending cases and his remarks on the voter list revision exerciseBJP chief spokesperson Navnath Ban targeted Raut over the court proceedings comparing him with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and accusing both opposition leaders of misleading the public Ban also criticised the Congress over its proposed national flag rally questioning the partys political messaging and alleging that its campaign could create instabilityBJP calls Raut an lsquoapology warriorrsquoBan criticised Raut describing him as an ldquoapology warriorrdquo and drawing a comparison with Rahul Gandhi whom the BJP has previously targeted over legal disputes He said Raut should apologise not only to the Supreme Court but also to the people of India and MaharashtraThe remarks came after a Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued notices to the Election Commission and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on a plea filed by Gandhi and 12 others including Raut over alleged irregularities in the SIR exerciseThe court made clear on Thursday that it was provisionally entertaining the plea on Rauts behalf subject to him explaining his conduct Raut is one of the 13 copetitioners in the caseReacting to the proceedings Ban accused Raut of repeatedly misleading the public and questioned who would be held accountable for statements that allegedly misinformed people He argued that an apology in a legal matter would not by itself resolve questions about political accountabilityThe BJP spokesperson called on Raut to clarify his position and apologise to the public maintaining that political leaders should be answerable for their statements and conductBJP questions Rauts stand on pending casesBan also questioned Rauts position on several cases while criticising his demand for justice through the Supreme Court He referred to the Palghar sadhu lynching case the Disha Salian case and the Patra Chawl case asking why the Shiv Sena UBT leader had not taken a stronger stand on these mattersHe urged Raut to raise concerns about those affected by the Patra Chawl case and the demand for justice by Disha Salians familyBan called on the opposition leader to clarify his position on these cases arguing that his public statements on justice and accountability should be consistentBJP defends SIR rejects claims about 13 crore votersBan also rejected claims that 13 crore voters had been excluded from electoral rolls describing the allegation as misleading He criticised Raut and Gandhi for raising concerns about the Election Commissions SIR exerciseThe BJP spokesperson argued that assessments of voter list changes should account for duplicate entries deceased voters and people who had moved away from their registered locations He said these factors needed to be considered before drawing conclusions about the scale and impact of the revisionBan further alleged that opposition parties had failed to appoint sufficient numbers of Booth Level Agents BLA2 and questioned their criticism of the Election CommissionHe also referred to Form 6 through which eligible citizens can apply for inclusion in electoral rolls arguing that the provision should be considered while assessing objections to the revision exerciseThe oppositions concerns over SIR have centred on the possibility that eligible voters could be left off electoral rolls during the revision process Gandhi Raut and the other petitioners have approached the Supreme Court over alleged irregularities while the BJP has defended the exerciseBJP questions Congress rallyBan also criticised the Congress over its proposed national flag rally questioning whether the event was intended to promote national unity or intensify political confrontationHe asked the party to explain how its use of the national flag aligned with its statements about political change and alleged that its campaign could contribute to instabilityThe BJP spokesperson accused the Congress of attempting to create unrest and warned against what he described as efforts to bring conditions similar to those in Bangladesh and Nepal to IndiaBan said the BJP would oppose any attempt to destabilise the country framing the dispute as a question of national stability