'Op Tudwa' vs 'Op Tiger': Sanjay Raut claims 'rebel' MPs moved to Rajasthan

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut (File Photo)

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday alleged that the party’s dissident Lok Sabha MPs were given an additional Rs 10 crore each and shifted to a “safe location” in Rajasthan amid speculation of a split in the Uddhav Thackeray-led outfit. The Rajya Sabha MP, who again used expletives in the press conference on Thursday, had earlier alleged that the MPs were being offered Rs 50 crore to switch sides. Raut made the allegations after only three of Shiv Sena (UBT)’s nine Lok Sabha MPs attended the party’s crucial parliamentary meeting in New Delhi despite a three-line whip directing all MPs to be present. "If the rebel MPs have any morality, they should quit," Raut said. Escalating his attack, Raut issued a warning to the dissident MPs, saying the party would begin “Operation Tudwa” (bash up) against those who had betrayed it. Calling the dissident MPs “traitors”, Raut also demanded that their police security be withdrawn. "Traitors’ have been given police security, withdraw it," Raut said. The MPs who attended the meeting were Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai and Rajabhau Waje, along with Raut, the party’s lone Rajya Sabha MP.

The remaining six MPs — Nagesh Aashtikar, Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Dina Patil, Omprakash Rajenimbalkar and Bhausaheb Wakchaure — stayed away. Raut said action had been initiated against the missing MPs for violating the party whip. “The MPs who did not attend it are found to be in violation of party whip. So, action has been initiated. They will be served showcause notice and response will be sought from them.

We will look towards the cancellation of their membership,” he said. He also accused the BJP of “dirtying country's politics, especially in Maharashtra”. “When we met the Speaker yesterday, a photo came out in public domain. If the other 6 MPs met the Speaker, show us a photo of the same...This is not called strategy, this is betrayal. They are still the members of our party and won on our symbol. If they have violated the party whip, they will have to face legal action...BJP

has dirtied country's politics, especially in Maharashtra, and they will have to pay a price,” Raut said. The crisis intensified after reports suggested that the six MPs had formed a separate group and submitted a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking recognition. Sources said the dissident MPs had signed a letter seeking a merger with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Under parliamentary rules, a breakaway faction needs support from at least two-thirds of the legislature party members to avoid disqualification.

Since Shiv Sena (UBT) has nine Lok Sabha MPs, the dissidents require six MPs to stake a claim as a separate bloc. Meanwhile, Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat claimed that dissatisfaction had been brewing among Sena (UBT) MPs for the past year and had now surfaced. “This unrest is not new and has been going for a year. It just came out yesterday,” Shirsat said. He denied any role of his party in the alleged “Operation Tiger” to poach Sena (UBT) MPs. “We have nothing to do with this 'Operation Tiger', and it is completely their internal issue,” he said. Shirsat blamed Raut for the crisis, saying, “The workers are fed up with the people who have damaged their party. People will kick them now instead. Raut peeped into other political parties and destroyed them. Wherever these leaders go, they make a mess everywhere.” He added, “Eknath Shinde is a leader who does the operation and also makes it successful.”