The Shiv Sena accused the BJP of "double standards" for seeking votes in the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji and remaining silent when his statues were vandalised in Karnataka.
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut dared the BJP government in Karnataka to ban Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) amid unrest over vandalism of statues of Chhatrapati Shivaji and freedom fighter Sangolli Rayanna.
"The Centre is practising double standards on this issue. To lure voters, Prime Minister Narendra Modi went to Varanasi and referred to Chhatrapati Shivaji and how he fought the Mughals. But not a single Union minister has uttered a word on the insult meted out to Chhatrapati Shivaji in a BJP-ruled state," Mr Raut told reporters.
The MES, Sanjay Raut said, is not a political outfit but has been on the forefront for the past 70 years in raising issues of the Marathi-speaking people in the Belgaum region.
"They have made sacrifices and shed blood for the cause of Marathi-speaking persons in the Maharashtra-Karnataka border region," the MP said.
He claimed that the Karnataka government has illegally arrested over 200 MES activists and caned them.
"What are sensitive leaders of the BJP doing?" Sanjay Raut asked.
"It is one thing to talk of banning MES, but I dare them to ban the MES," the Shiv Sena leader said.
Elon Musk Congratulates PM Modi On Becoming Most Followed Leader On X Melania Trump Makes Rare Appearance At Republican National Convention PM Modi Congratulates Ursula Von Der Leyen On Being Re-Elected As EU Chief Over 300 Indian Students Return Home As 105 Bangladeshis Die In Protests Bangladesh Imposes Curfew, Deploys Military As 105 Die In Protests "Jindal Group Executive Showed Porn, Groped Me On Flight": Woman To NDTV Global IT Chaos Persists, Flight Delays Expected Even Today: 10 Points Massive Global IT Crash Hits Airlines, Banks, Media: Live Updates "Stakes Are High, Choice Is Clear": Biden Vows To Stay In Presidential Race Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.