100 Days In A Dark Cell Sans Sunlight; Sanjay Raut Emerges Stronger Than Ever

Hindutva doesn’t mean that people of any faith other than Hinduism should be hated, feels Sanjay Raut.

Hindutva is a topic that has been much debated in India’s political and social circles. How Hindutva is held in India’s socialist, the secular environment has come in for many deliberations. But then, should Hindutva be adopted as a means toward hate for their faiths is a question posed to the perpetrators of a hate-laden ideology. Ask Sanjay Raut what the Hindutva ideology means to him, and what he tells the world comes across as a whiff of fresh breeze that could soothe minds.

Voicing his concern at how the BJP sees Hindutva, Sanjay Raut, a senior leader of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray group) and Member of Parliament, opens up on what Hindutva isn’t is and what it stands for. Hindutva doesn’t mean that people of any faith other than Hinduism should be hated, Raut tells Reba Ayaz of Digpu News in a free-wheeling chat. Sadly, the opposite is happening today, with the BJP becoming perpetrators of hate against other religions.

The nation comes first, says Sanjay Raut

Reminding that the late Balasaheb Thackeray had believed that “Nation Comes First,” Sanjay Raut chooses to stay close to the Shiv Sena founder’s ideology that it is only possible to move forward in nation-building by everyone deciding to join hands and work together. Minority and majority do not exist; everyone is the same and equal. That makes this nation strong; he points out.

Raut stands tall among the politicians around him for his sheer honesty, and bold approach toward all he believes is suitable for the nation. His severe and proactive approach towards upholding democratic ideals had been trivialized by the Centre and the party that leads it, and Raut was put behind bars. “For no fault of mine,” he adds. Relegated to a dark cell with no sunlight for as many as 100 days, Raut was granted bail by a special court, stating that he was arrested for no reason.

Sanjay Raut is now more encouraged than ever as his stance for all that is right has been vindicated. His 100 days in a dark prison cell without even being allowed the luxury of sunlight has made him a bolder man who believes he stands in the right spot.

Pained at how the Governor of Maharashtra has been behaving in recent times, he points out that Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari has been swaying away from his constitutional position. Even after the people of Maharashtra have voiced their concern over hows they have been acting, the Union Government has been insistent and insisted. The state government, which has assumed power through unfair means, is also supporting the Governor, unmindful of the damage such attitude would bring to the people of Maharashtra.

Stressing that the Raj Bhavan is sacred and has much significance in democracy and politics, Sanjay Raut adds that everyone needs to believe that the country comes first and foremost, and everything else is secondary. He states that the current ruling dispensation’s confidence in the Governor does not augur well for the state and its people.

We will come back stronger, feels Shiv Sena leader.

Dwelling upon the political drama that the BJP had orchestrated in Maharashtra, he says that the Shiva Sena government led by Uddhav Thackeray had been running smoothly. The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government was on the right path keeping the BJP at bay and joining hands with secular forces such as the Indian National Congress. However, when the evil eye of the BJP was cast on the government, power was snatched away by forces that are a shame in a democracy.

Central agencies played their part in threatening party men, and many left the party out of fear. Many party men may have left their base, but that doesn’t mean the party has ended, says Raut. He asserts that the real Shiv Sena will continue to grow and return to power again.

The BJP has been deploying similar tactics in Telangana and West Bengal. They had done the same in Bihar. But they are mistaken when it comes to Maharashtra. We will come back and form the government again, Sanjay Raut states, exuding much confidence.

Answering a question on the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra, Sanjay Raut says: “Taking out a yatra through the length and breadth of the country is no easy task. Seeing Rahul Gandhi do this feels good, and how people from all walks of life join the unsolicited yatra offers much to hope for. Those who had seen Rahul Gandhi as a distant politician have started saying, “Hamara Rahul.” It is heartening to see people look forward to witnessing secular, democratic ideals woven into the country’s fabric again”.

For a man who has gone through the ups and downs of politics, Sanjay Raut comes across as an honest politician who believes that his country comes first in whatever he does. And he continues with his excellent work, with the blessings of the people and all around him.

Watch this Candid interview on YouTube: