NEW DELHI: BJP on Saturday mounted a strong counterattack against Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut after he compared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and called him as an “aghori”.The ruling party said Raut’s comments reflected the opposition’s growing frustration and alleged that he had insulted not only the prime minister but also the people of Gujarat by calling it the “land of Aurangzeb”.The row erupted after Raut, speaking to reporters in Pune, launched one of his sharpest attacks yet on Modi, questioning his character and accusing him of cruelty.”Never before has such an ‘aghori’ person been born in this country’s politics. Never before has someone so cruel emerged.”This country has produced great leaders, such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shastri, P V Narasimha Rao, Rajiv Gandhi, Babasaheb Ambedkar and Balasaheb Thackeray. But when we look at Modi’s entire character, it creates fear. Where has such a person come from?” he said.”He comes from the same soil that produced Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb was born in Gujarat, wasn’t he?” he added. The remarks triggered an immediate response from the BJP, with spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla accusing the opposition of crossing all limits of political discourse.”They have reached new levels of frustration and are now not only abusing Prime Minister Modi and a constitutional office, but also insulting the entire state of Gujarat,” Poonawalla said in a video statement.He alleged that the Congress and its allies have repeatedly targeted Modi with abusive language because they have failed to find substantive issues to challenge him on.”The Congress party and its allies have crossed the line. Rahul Gandhi has used the choicest words against Prime Minister Modi. They have hurled over 150 abusive words against the prime minister.”Now, Congress ally Sanjay Raut has used the choicest abuses against the prime minister. He has gone even further and insulted the state of Gujarat, saying it is the land of Aurangzeb. This shows their mindset,” he said.Poonawalla further argued that the opposition’s repeated personal attacks stem from political desperation.”They continue to use such language because they do not have any real criticism against the prime minister. Therefore, they constantly resort to abuse. The people of India will make them pay a price yet again,” he said.The BJP leader also accused opposition parties of disrespecting constitutional institutions and offices.”In their opposition to Modi and the BJP, they can insult constitutional offices. They abuse the president and the elected prime minister because he comes from an OBC family and because he comes from a tea-seller’s family.”They keep using the worst kind of language and then claim to represent love. In reality, they do not represent love, they represent abuse and insults. This abusive politics has led to their defeat election after election. Yet they do not improve,” he said.Raut’s comments come at a politically sensitive moment for the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), which is facing increasing speculation over possible defections within its ranks.According to NDA sources, the party is among those being closely watched for a potential split. Such discussions have persisted since the Mahayuti alliance’s sweeping victory in the Maharashtra assembly elections but have gathered fresh momentum in recent weeks.The party currently has nine MPs in the Lok Sabha. Under the anti-defection law, at least six MPs would need to move together to another party to avoid disqualification. Sources indicated that if such a development takes place, the most likely destination would be the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde.The speculation has gained further traction following the rebellion within the Trinamool Congress, where a dissident faction has openly challenged Mamata Banerjee’s leadership and signalled support for the PM Modi-led NDA.
