22 rebel MLAs came to Sena from NCP, they can't talk about Hindutva: Raut

Slamming the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs' claim that their fight was for protecting the party's Hindutva moorings, Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday said more than half of them were earlier with the NCP.

Many rebel MLAs as well as their leader and senior Maharashtra minister Eknath Shinde have said that they did not approve of the Sena president Uddhav Thackeray's decision to sever the ties with the like-minded BJP and join hands with the NCP and Congress.

Speaking at a public rally at Alibag near Mumbai, Raut said, "The rebel MLAs supporting Eknath Shinde are saying their cause is to protect the Hindutva envisaged by party founder Balasaheb Thackeray.

"Twenty-two of them have come from the Nationalist Congress Party. What Hindutva they are talking about? Those who opposed Balasaheb Thackeray ended up ruining their own career," he said.

As per the Shinde faction, which is camping in Guwahati, it has the support of 40 of 55 Sena MLAs.

Raut also called the party MLA from Alibag, Mahendra Dalvi, who has joined the Shinde camp, a "bullock".

"When I called Mahendra, he said he was taking rest and disconnected the call. He was earlier with the NCP and also other political parties like the Peasants and Workers Party....I think it is time to change the bullock," Raut said.