Shiv Sena's Raut fires interesting response on stunning Sharad Pawar-Amit Shah meet rumour

Shiv Sena MP and spokesperson Sanjay Raut on Monday downplayed reports of an alleged and politically sensational meeting between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar amid the ongoing crisis within the MVA government in Maharashtra.

Reacting to reports of a meeting between the leaders which Shah didn't refute, quote-happy Raut said, “There is nothing like a secret meeting. If Amit Shah and Pawar have met, what is wrong with it? Can’t any other leader meet Amit Shah? Nothing is wrong with it,” he added.

Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday did not refute reports of his meeting Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel in Ahmedabad. When Shah was asked about the apparent meeting, he said, 'Not everything can be made public'. On the other hand, NCP has refuted that such a meeting took place with the BJP leader.

The NCP is currently in coalition with Shiv Sena and Congress to form the three-fold Maha Vikas Aghadi government. In November 2019, NCP leader Ajit Pawar had unsuccessfully allied with the saffron party to form a 72-hour government in Maharashtra, amid MVA talks.

Shiv Sena terms Anil Deshmukh 'accidental HM'; gets an earful

Presently, allies of the MVA – Shiv Sena and NCP - are at odds over state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh’s handling of the Sachin Vaze case and the extortion allegations against him levelled by former Mumbai CP Param Bir Singh. Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana on Sunday termed Deshmukh an 'accidental Home Minister' amid the Vazegate fallout. Claiming that Deshmukh was given the cabinet berth by Sharad Pawar, Saamna praised former Minister RR Patil's style of functioning. 

Rebutting Saamana's claims, Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar said that Sharad Pawar had always the last say in appointing ministers, reminding Shiv Sena of Sharad Pawar's decision to insist on Uddhav Thackeray as CM if the Sena was to get the post. He added that one's alliance partner should avoid such comments which 'unnecessarily spoil things'. While Congress has demanded Deshmukh's resignation, NCP has backed him blaming ex-Mumbai cops - Sachi Vaze and Param Bir Singh. Shiv Sena, on the other hand, has backed both Vaze and Param Bir Singh and often changed their stance on Deshmukh's alleged involvement.

Shiv Sena has often clashed with its ideological polar opposite Congress since the formation of the MVA alliance over issues like Hindutva, CAA, NRC, Ram Janmabhoomi, Savarkar, COVID-19, and UPA chairmandship etc, with NCP playing the peacemaker. Recently, Congress hinted at going solo in the next elections. In the latest, NCP's Nawab Malik has confirmed that Sharad Pawar was taken to hospital on Sunday and will undergo a gallbladder procedure post admission there yet again on March 31.