In reply to Devendra Fadnavis, Sanjay Raut says anti-BJP alliance with NCP, Congress was also ‘diplomacy’

After Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis termed the BJP’s alliance with the Ajit Pawar-led NCP as diplomatic, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday asked why the undivided Shiv Sena’s alliance with the NCP and the Congress was then considered dishonest.

“Both Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis yesterday spoke about diplomacy. They said their alliance with the NCP is diplomacy. Then what was our alliance with NCP and Congress? What was MVA? If you do it then it is diplomacy. If we do it, is it dishonesty?” Raut said, adding that his party had similarly resorted to “diplomacy”, to keep the BJP out of power.

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“You (BJP) are dishonest. To keep you out of power, we allied with the NCP and the Congress in 2019. That was our diplomacy,” he said.

On Thursday, Fadnavis said the BJP’s alliance with Ajit Pawar’s faction was diplomatic. “What we have done (by allying with the NCP) is dharma, not adharma. The Mahabharata tells us that this is not adharma, but it is diplomacy. Whenever there is dishonesty, diplomacy will have to be used,” he said addressing party workers.