Shiv Sena appoints Sanjay Raut as chief spokesperson of party amid faceoff with Kangana

In a major decision, Shiv Sena has appointed its Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut as the party's chief spokesperson. Alongside Raut, 10 other leaders have been appointed as the spokesperson of the party. They are Arvind Sawant, Dhairyasheel Sambhajirao Mane, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Neelam Gorhe, Gulab Raghunath Patil, Anil Parab, Uday Samant, Pratap Sarnaik, Kishori Pednekar, Sunil Prabhu.

This comes amid a massive controversy that has broken out after war-of-words began between Shiv Sena and Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut. Sanjay Raut who has now been given the post of the chief spokesperson of the party has downplayed the lapses that surfaced in the death of Sushant Singh Rajput. Moreover, he used cuss word against Kangana while slamming her for comparing Mumbai to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. He also warned Kangana Ranaut to not return to Mumbai, if she cannot be grateful to the place that gave her fame. 

Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik, who has been made spokesperson of the party, threatened Kangana of physical violence. He said, "Film actor Kangana Ranaut tweeted that it has become difficult to live in Mumbai because Mumbai has become like PoK and she does not believe in Mumbai Police. First, I want to stress that Mumbai is our mother. Mumbai has been named after Mumba Devi. You have become a star in Mumbai. Many industrialists and film stars have gained in Mumbai. If you attack Mumbai in such a situation, then you do not have the moral right to live in this city anymore. Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut explained this to you very politely. If you come to Mumbai in the future and our women's wing does something, then we will not find it wrong to take responsibility. I demand that sedition charges should be slapped against her and that she should be arrested."

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Moreover, Mumbai Mayor and Shiv Sena leader Kishori Pednekar supported physical violence against Kangana, and also propagated the same. Responding to a tweet of a Marathi actor, Kishori Pednekar said that girls like Kangana won't understand in a straightforward manner, and will only listen when 'beaten up with slippers'. In yet another tweet, the Mumbai Mayor said that people of Mumbai has 'just thrown slippers at Kangana's picture' after her remark, and would repeat the same if they meet her in person. 

Priyanka Chaturvedi has also raised her voice in the Sena vs Kangana controversy and has slammed the NCW chief for demanding security for the actor. She also said that Sarnaik's comment quoted by the NCW chief is false. Taking to Twitter, Chaturvedi said that it is 'patently false and full of lies'. She said that NCW chief Rekha Sharma should owe a responsibility to the chair and not to a political party. 

Meanwhile, in a veiled dig at Kangana Ranaut, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, speaking on the floor of the Legislative Assembly on Monday, said that many persons from other parts of the country came to Maharashtra to earn their livelihood. He lamented that some persons are not grateful to the state despite earning their fame in the state. CM Thackeray remarked, "Many people from across the country come to Mumbai and Maharashtra. They earn their livelihood. They earn fame. Some people are grateful to Maharashtra and some people are not."

The appointment by CM Uddhav Thackeray at this crucial time comes as a massive development, considering that most of these leaders are being slammed for their controversial remarks, while Shiv Sena is also being targeted for mismanagement of the COVID pandemic.

READ | CM Uddhav Thackeray takes veiled dig at Kangana Ranaut amid her tiff with Shiv Sena