"Did They Not Break Shiv Sena?" Team Uddhav Warns Sharad Pawar's Party

A day after Ajit Pawar claimed leaders of other parties were behaving like spokespersons of the Nationalist Congress Party, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said he only listens to NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

Talking to reporters on Wednesday, Mr Raut said what can he do if “bitter truth hurts anyone”, a reference to his weekly column 'Rokthok' in his party mouthpiece Saamana in which he claimed Sharad Pawar recently told Uddhav Thackeray that his party will never join hands with the BJP even if anyone takes an individual decision to do so.

Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar on Tuesday said he would work for his party till he is alive and scotched speculation that he and a group of MLAs loyal to him might align with the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP). Ajit Pawar had also slammed Mr Raut without taking the latter's name and said spokespersons of other parties were behaving like NCP's spokespersons.

The NCP leader had said he would raise this issue whenever there is a party meeting.

Mr Raut on Wednesday said, “(Sharad) Pawar saheb can raise questions on my credibility. I will only listen to Pawar saheb." The Rajya Sabha member asked what wrong had he written in the Marathi daily.

"Ajit dada should say whether attempts are being made to break the opposition (parties). Did they not break Shiv Sena? Are attempts not being made to break the NCP?" he asked.

“Sharad Pawar saheb is himself saying this. Sharad Pawar has written a letter regarding this to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah," Mr Raut claimed.

"If I keep information of all this, then what is wrong in it?” he asked.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)