Raut says Home Minister should speak on Kadam-Tatkare row but has no authority

Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) leader Ramdas Kadam has levelled serious allegations against Sunil Tatkare, state president of the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction). Kadam has said an investigation should determine whether Tatkare had a hand in the conspiracy against Ajitdada.

Tatkare has also turned aggressive after Kadam's allegations. He has said he will send Kadam a legal notice over the charges made against him.

Shiv Sena (Thackeray faction) leader and MP Sanjay Raut has now given his first reaction to the dispute. In it, he also targeted Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Raut said, "I will not take anyone's name, and it is not right to do so. Kadam is in the government, Tatkare is also in the government. People of both parties are in the government. The Home Minister, under whose leadership they are working, should speak on this, but he does not have the authority."

Raut also spoke on the restrictions the government has imposed to some extent on Diwali. He said, "The government keeps imposing restrictions. What else does the government have to do? Or what else does the court have to do? Even in the British era, there were not so many restrictions on Hindu festivals and celebrations. A government does not belong to any ideology, it is only opportunistic. They can do anything for votes."

Raut also said there should be no restrictions on Diwali. According to him, if people want to burst firecrackers, they should be allowed to, as they will do so for two days. He asked, "They say the layer of air comes down, so does it go up the rest of the time?"

Raut had come to inspect the decorative electric lighting set up for Diwali at the Bhandupeshwar Kund premises in Bhandup. He was speaking to reporters there.