BJP Evokes Shivaji For Votes, Remains Silent When Statue Vandalised: Sena

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut dared the BJP government in Karnataka to ban Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti amid unrest over vandalism of statues of Chhatrapati Shivaji and freedom fighter Sangolli Rayanna.

The Shiv Sena accused the BJP of "double standards" for seeking votes in the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji and remaining silent when his statues were vandalised in Karnataka.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut dared the BJP government in Karnataka to ban Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) amid unrest over vandalism of statues of Chhatrapati Shivaji and freedom fighter Sangolli Rayanna.

"The Centre is practising double standards on this issue. To lure voters, Prime Minister Narendra Modi went to Varanasi and referred to Chhatrapati Shivaji and how he fought the Mughals. But not a single Union minister has uttered a word on the insult meted out to Chhatrapati Shivaji in a BJP-ruled state," Mr Raut told reporters.

The MES, Sanjay Raut said, is not a political outfit but has been on the forefront for the past 70 years in raising issues of the Marathi-speaking people in the Belgaum region.