Sanjay Raut accuses Shiv Sena leader Kiran Pawaskar of insulting Bal Thackeray, triggers war of words

A fresh political confrontation erupted between the rival Shiv Sena factions on Tuesday after Shiv Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut accused Kiran Pawaskar a leader from the Eknath Shindeled Shiv Sena of insulting party founder Balasaheb Thackeray The allegation triggered a strong response from Pawaskar who denied the charge and asserted his continued commitment to Bal Thackerays ideologyThe exchange comes amid heightened tensions between the two factions following the recent induction of six Shiv Sena UBT Lok Sabha MPs into the Shindeled Shiv SenaRemarks at induction event spark controversyThe controversy stems from comments made by Pawaskar during an induction programme held on Monday to welcome the six MPs into the ruling Shiv SenaDuring his speech Pawaskar drew comparisons between statements made by Balasaheb Thackeray in support of his son Uddhav Thackeray and recent remarks by Uddhav Thackeray seeking support for his son Aaditya Thackeray He also highlighted what he described as differences in the leadership styles of Eknath Shinde and Uddhav ThackerayPawaskars remarks quickly drew criticism from Shiv Sena UBT leaders who accused him of disrespecting the party founder while simultaneously claiming to uphold his legacyRaut accuses Shinde faction of mocking Bal Thackerays legacyResponding to Pawaskars comments Raut launched a sharp attack on the Shindeled factionThe leaders who went to Shindes Sena were nurtured in the cradle of Matoshree Thackeray familys residence in Mumbai Would anyone have recognised them otherwise Raut saidHe also recalled welfare initiatives undertaken during the undivided Shiv Senas tenure in government including schemes such as the Matoshree oldage home programme introduced during the administration led by former Chief Minister Manohar JoshiRaut argued that initiatives such as running oldage homes and childcare centres reflected social responsibility and humanitarian valuesPawaskar rejects allegation says comments taken out of contextAfter Rauts criticism Pawaskar denied insulting Bal Thackeray and said his remarks had been selectively presentedBalasaheb Thackeray was known as Hindu Hriday Samrat We continue to follow his ideology How can we insult him Pawaskar saidAccording to Pawaskar his comments were directed at Uddhav Thackerays appeal during the Shiv Sena UBT foundation day programme on June 19 where he urged supporters who had shown affection towards him to also support Aaditya ThackerayPawaskar maintained that only a portion of his speech had been circulated and that his remarks were being misinterpreted for political reasonsLeadership styles become a point of contentionDefending his position Pawaskar said he was highlighting differences in leadership approaches within the two factionsHe argued that despite being elected to the Lok Sabha three times Shrikant Shinde had not been elevated to a ministerial position by his father Eknath Shinde In contrast he noted that Aaditya Thackeray became a cabinet minister after entering the Maharashtra AssemblyPawaskar said his remarks were intended to emphasise that Shrikant Shinde had instead been entrusted with the responsibility of supporting and accommodating leaders joining the Shindeled Shiv SenaPolitical battle over Bal Thackerays legacy intensifiesThe Sena leader also highlighted his decadeslong association with the undivided Shiv Sena displaying a letter signed by Balasaheb Thackeray and recalling his work in various organisational roles over the yearsPawaskar claimed that Balasaheb Thackeray had once appealed to party workers to support Uddhav Thackeray and that leaders like him had followed that directive He further questioned criticism from individuals who according to him entered politics much later despite his fourandahalf decades of organisational workEscalating his attack Pawaskar alleged that several senior leaders including Ramdas Kadam and Gajanan Kirtikar left Uddhav Thackerays camp because of disagreements over the partys direction He also accused the Shiv Sena UBT leadership of relying on Balasaheb Thackerays image while questioning its alliance with the CongressThe latest war of words comes just a day after six Shiv Sena UBT MPs joined the Shindeled Sena further intensifying the battle between the two factions over political influence and Balasaheb Thackerays legacyMeanwhile Shiv Sena minister Uday Samant sought to downplay the controversy saying Pawaskars remarks did not reflect the partys official position and may have been made in an emotional momentWith inputs from PTI