Raj Thackeray's MNS hurls 'Dawood' taunt at Sena's Raut for retracting Indira-don claim

Taunting Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut for retracting his statement on Indira Gandhi, Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS) leader Sandeep Deshpande, on Thursday said that the Sena which used to order Dawood Ibrahim is now ordered by Congress. Raut who had earlier alleged that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had met with underwood don Karim Lala, has since then retracted his statement. Sources have stated that NCP Supremo Sharad Pawar had called Raut regarding his remarks.

MNS taunts Raut

CONTROVERSIAL: Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut claims 'Indira Gandhi met with don Karim Lala'

Raut retracts

Facing severe backlash from several top Congress leaders like Sanjay Nirupam, Milind Deora and Abhishek Singhvi over his controversial remark, Raut retracted saying, "Our friends in Congress need not be offended by this. I have defended Indira Gandhi many times when she was attacked while Congress kept mute. If someone thinks that my statement would dent the stature of Indira Ji or hurt the sentiment of someone, then I retract my statement".

Raj Thackeray's MNS makes a sarcastic 'Osama' jibe as Sena says Indira Gandhi met don Lala

What remark did Raut make?

Talking about the past influence of the underworld over Mumbai, Sanjay Raut claimed that the underworld decided who will be the city's commissioner and in the state secretariat. Moreover, he claimed that the entire secretariat would meet don Haji Mastan when he was in town.

"They (underworld) used to decide who will be Mumbai's police commissioner and who will sit in Mantralaya (state secretariat)," Raut said. He added, "When (underworld don) Haji Mastan came to Mantralaya, the entire secretariat would come down to see him. Indira Gandhi used to meet Karim Lala in Pydhonie (in south Mumbai)".

HUGE: Outspoken Sanjay Raut retracts his remarks on Indira Gandhi after Congress fury

MNS follows Raut's underworld boasting

Responding to Raut's claim of rebuking Dawood Ibrahim, Deshpande sarcastically said that he had also met Osama Bin Laden after the 9/11 attack and have also admonished him. Karim Lala was one of the three top underworld dons of Mumbai for over two decades, from the sixties to the early eighties, the other two being Mastan Mirza alias Haji Mastan and Varadarajan Mudaliar. Incidentally, Shiv Sena which was founded in the 1960s, has held power over Mumbai since 1985.

Indira Gandhi's pic with don Karim Lala surfaces, even as Sena's Raut retracts statement