6 months ago
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Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut connected Saturday (January 10, 2026) demanded that BJP person K. Annamalai beryllium arrested for his remark portion campaigning for the civic elections that "Bombay is not a Maharashtra city".
State BJP Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said a connection could beryllium misunderstood, and it should beryllium recovered retired what precisely helium meant.
"(Narendra) Modi ji astatine the Centre, Devendra (Fadnavis) ji astatine the State and a BJP politician successful the BMC...because Bombay is not a Maharashtra city. It is an planetary city," Mr. Annamalai said connected Friday (January 9, 2026) up of the January 15 elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
Latching connected to the remark, Mr. Raut pointed retired that Mr. Annamalai was the BJP's prima campaigner and sought to cognize if this was the saffron party's authoritative stand.
"You should record a lawsuit against him here. How tin helium speech similar this astir Maharashtra's capital? The CM should record a lawsuit against him and apprehension him. He should not beryllium allowed to permission Mumbai," the Sena (UBT) person said.
Raut besides demanded that main curate Fadnavis marque his basal wide connected this, and targeted the Shiv Sena led by lawman CM Eknath Shinde, a BJP ally.
"Where is your self-respect? How helpless are you," Raut asked the Shinde-led Sena.
Asked astir the controversy, BJP person Bawankule said, "People thin to distort oregon misunderstand comments made successful a speech. (We) Need to find retired what precisely helium meant." The Shinde-led Shiv Sena distanced itself from the remarks.
Party person Deepak Kesarkar said Mumbai belongs to Maharashtra and it is India's fiscal capital.
"It belongs to Marathi radical and its quality should enactment that way. This is our wide stand," helium said, adding that specified statements should not beryllium made.
"Mumbai is an inseparable portion of Maharashtra, and the world is it volition ever beryllium portion of Maharashtra. There is nary connection (by Annamalai) that Mumbai volition beryllium snatched distant from Maharashtra," Kesarkar added.
