After row over Fadnavis-Raut meeting, leaders clarify why they met

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday (September 27) sought to clear the air over a recent meeting of the two leaders at a Mumbai hotel with the latter stating that no political talks were held during the meeting on Friday.

The meeting came as a surprise since the two leaders have of late sparred bitterly over a range of issues, the latest being the Sushant Singh Rajput death case and the demolition drive by the Sena-led Mumbai civic body at actor Kangana Ranaut’s office.

Stating no political talks were held during the meeting with the Shiv Sena leader, Fadnavis, a former chief minister of Maharashtra, said it was held to discuss an interview of him that Raut wanted to take for the Sena mouthpiece Saamana.

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“Raut ji wanted to take my interview for Shiv Sena’s newspaper Saamana. The meeting was held to discuss the same as I had put certain conditions. I wanted it to be published unedited. No political talks held in meeting,” said the senior BJP leader.

Raut, who is also the executive editor of Saamana, said Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was aware of the meeting. He said the meeting was fixed as he wanted to take his interview but it did not materialise due to COVID-19 and other reasons.

“I met Devendra Fadnavis yesterday to discuss certain issues. He is a former chief minister. He’s also the leader of opposition in Maharashtra and BJP’s Bihar polls in-charge. There can be ideological differences but we are not enemies,” added Raut, a Rajya Sabha MP.

The BJP and the Shiv Sena were allies until the race for the chief minister’s seat led to a rift between the two parties after the assembly elections last year and the Uddhav Thackeray-led side quit NDA to form government in Maharashtra with the help of NCP and Congress.

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