Writers should sometimes be sent to jail, says Sanjay Raut at launch of his book Bodh Kirtan

Shiv Sena MP and Thackeray faction leader Sanjay Raut is often in the news for his outspoken remarks. This time his style looked a little different. The occasion was the launch of his book "Bodh Kirtan". At the event in Mumbai, Raut spoke freely about literature, spirituality, his experience in jail and the speeches of political leaders. Some of his remarks drew laughter from those present.

The launch of "Bodh Kirtan", written by Raut, was held with great enthusiasm. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, MNS president Raj Thackeray and writer Ambarish Mishra attended as chief guests. Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray were thus seen on the same stage.

Speaking at the event, Raut said every book in Maharashtra should be celebrated. "We hold festivals for food and clothes, so why not a festival of Marathi literature?" he asked. He said it needed to be shown that in a capital city like Mumbai, people gather to discuss Marathi literature.

Raut joked about the title of the book. He said that on hearing the name "Bodh Kirtan", some people might wonder how Sanjay Raut could be spiritual. According to him, a good speaker is one who is also a good kirtankar. A speaker's kirtan becomes effective only when the speaker has something worth saying.

Speaking of the 105 days he spent in jail, Raut said, "Sometimes writers should be sent to jail, it will produce the finest literature." The remark drew laughter at the event. He also mentioned Savarkar, Tilak and other writers who created literature in jail.

Raut also referred to the speech Narendra Modi gave at the Ram Mandir pran pratishtha. He said he heard and wrote down that speech while in jail. He found the speech, delivered without a teleprompter, natural and non-political, and liked it, so he included it in the book.

Raut said he too has feelings, likes poetry and enjoys talking with literary people. The well-known poet Grace used to sit for hours in his cabin at Saamana. According to Raut, "Bodh Kirtan" came out of conversations with many such literary friends.

The launch brought out a different side of Sanjay Raut's literary and personal experiences.