Sanjay Raut courts controversy again, equates Eknath Shinde with Hamas

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 25 : Reacting to Eknath Shinde's statement that Shiv Sena (UBT) will form an alliance even with 'Hamas' or 'Lashkar-e-Taiba', Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said on Wednesday that Shinde himself is 'Hamas' and his statement reflects what kind of influence BJP has had on him.
"He (Eknath Shinde) is himself Hamas and his statement shows how BJP has planted dirt in his mind," said Raut.
Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, on Tuesday, had said that Uddhav Thackeray and his Shiv Sena faction, in order to meet their own selfish needs, could form an alliance even with terrorist groups like 'Hamas' and 'Lashkar-e-Taiba'.
The remark by Shinde was made in reference to Shiv Sena (UBT) forming an alliance with Congress and Samajwadi Party.
Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, Raut said "Shinde is speaking the language of the BJP and even we could stoop down to his level if we want to but we refrain from all this as we are guided by the values that were inculcated in Shiv Sena by Balasaheb Thackeray."
"But Shinde could not stop himself from making such comments even on the auspicious occasion of Dussehra which reflects his own mentality and BJP's influence on him," Raut added.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) MP further said that the Bharatiya Janata Party started the politics of familyism, division and regionalism during the last decade and spread the poison of regionalism and casteism.
"BJP strengthens the states that are under its rule but in the states where the party has been unable to form the government, BJP promotes regionalism. This is what they have been doing in Telangana and West Bengal," said Raut.
He further said that this was BJP's pattern in Maharashtra as well when the Uddhav Thackeray government was ruling the state. The state government was not receiving any help from the centre during that time but now that the state government has changed, the central government has opened its treasury for Maharashtra.