Cong's Abhishek Singhvi blasts 'deplorable' Sanjay Raut claim; targets Saamna & Sena past

Hitting out at Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, Congress leaders Milind Deora and Abhishek Manu Singhvi slammed Raut for his "deplorable comments" asking him to "withdraw his ill-informed statement" against former Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi.

In a statement that has significantly irked Maha Vikas Aghadi ally Congress, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday claimed that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi met with underworld don Karim Lala. Singhvi took a dig at the Saamana editor asking him how he makes such comments without doing "saamna with the rich history of his own party?" implying that Shiv Sena had underworld links.

Deora, on the other hand, was softer at his approach and stated that political leaders must "show restraint" when it comes to talking about deceased Prime Ministers. 

Read: Sanjay vs Sanjay: Furious Nirupam hammers Raut for saying Indira Gandhi met gangsters

Raut: Indira met with Karim Lala

Sanjay Raut had passed this controversial comment against Indira Gandhi while giving a talk to a local Marathi News Agency. Talking about the past influence of the underworld over Mumbai, he claimed that the underworld decided who will be the city's commissioner and in the state secretariat. Moreover, he claimed that the entire secretariat would meet don Haji Mastan when he was in town. 

Read: CONTROVERSIAL: Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut claims 'Indira Gandhi met with don Karim Lala'

"They (underworld) used to decide who will be Mumbai's police commissioner and who will sit in Mantralaya (state secretariat)," Raut said. He added, "When (underworld don) Haji Mastan came to Mantralaya, the entire secretariat would come down to see him. Indira Gandhi used to meet Karim Lala in Pydhonie (in south Mumbai)".

This comment comes amidst discontent among the Sena-NCP-Congress after the expansion of the Maharashtra cabinet with Sena MP Sanjay Raut reportedly unhappy as his brother Sunil Raut missed out on a Cabinet berth.

Congress lashes out at Raut

Rebutting Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut's claim on Indira Gandhi, former Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam, on Thursday tweeted that 'Sena's poet should stick to entertaining Maharashtra'. Nirupam, who is an ex-Sena MP, said that defaming former PM Indira Gandhi would make the Sena cost later. He also demanded that Raut take back his comments on former PM Indira Gandhi meeting underworld don Karim Lala.

Read: WATCH: Sanjay Raut confronted on Cong neta's 'Keep Uddhav happy or he'll resign' warning

Read:Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut hurls yet another attack on BJP, quotes Thomas Gomes