Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday dismissed the criticism of party chief Uddhav Thackeray in Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar's autobiography as “wrong information.” Pawar, in his revised autobiography ‘Lok Majhe Sangati’, questioned Thackeray's absence from the chief minister's office during the coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19), an issue often raised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He wrote it was difficult to fathom why Thackeray as chief minister chose to visit the state secretariat only twice during the coronavirus pandemic.
“This is wrong information. He (Thackeray) was regularly going to office. His visits (to Mantralaya) reduced during coronavirus pandemic because there was a central government directive to work from home,” Raut said, adding that the prime minister, Union ministers and other chief ministers too were not going to the office during the pandemic.
In the book, which focuses on events post-2015, Pawar also blamed Uddhav Thackeray for failing to quell the discontent within his own party that saw a vertical split last year and for resigning as Maharashtra chief minister without putting up a fight.
Thackeray resigned as chief minister without facing the trust vote called by the Maharashtra governor following a rebellion by Eknath Shinde that brought down the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. Shinde went on to become the chief minister with the support of the BJP.
Pawar wrote that a chief minister needs “political acumen” and must remain well-informed about political developments, and “we all felt that these things were lacking”.
{{/usCountry}}Pawar wrote that a chief minister needs “political acumen” and must remain well-informed about political developments, and “we all felt that these things were lacking”.
{{/usCountry}}Downplaying the autobiography, Sanjay Raut said, “I have not read the book. I will read it. People read a book for two days and then it goes into the library. Let it go. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief (Uddhav Thackeray) is giving an interview on this very soon. He will respond to what is written about him.”
On Thursday, Thackeray expressed his displeasure over the criticism but added that he would not let the issue affect the unity of the MVA. Reacting to the remarks in Pawar’s autobiography about his working style as CM and his not attending office in Mantralaya, Thackeray said, “Everyone has the right to write an autobiography but what I have done as chief minister is a known fact,” he said. “The people of Maharashtra have appreciated my work (during the Covid pandemic) and look upon me as a family member. I will not say anything more than that.”
(With PTI inputs)