New Delhi: Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said that his party will attend the Opposition meeting today and will participate in the protest as well. The development comes after the party skipped the dinner meet at Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence on Monday after Rahul Gandhi’s Savarkar remarked irked Uddhav Thackeray.
“We will definitely attend the opposition meeting today and will participate in the protest as well. We give utmost priority to the unity of the Opposition. The opposition is united in Maharashtra and also in the country,” Raut was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
"We have talked out two days ago about the dissappointment we had. It is true that we did not attend the meeting at Kharge's place but whatever issue we had we escalated it where it was supposed to be and we have got the result," Raut added.
During a press conference last week, when Rahul Gandhi was asked about apologising for his London speech — where he said that democracy in India was under pressure — the Congress leader denied saying he was not Savarkar.
The comment did not go down well with Thackeray who cautioned Rahul Gandhi against demeaning Savarkar saying it could create “cracks” in the Opposition and Maharashtra alliance.
"I want to tell Rahul Gandhi that we have come together, that's right, we have come together to save democracy and constitution in this country. But do not make any statements that will create fissures," he had said.
Following Thackeray’s warning, and his absence looming large at Kharge’s dinner meet, Congress and other 17 Opposition parties decided not to comment on sensitive topics like Savarkar.
Rahul Gandhi had held the press conference following his disqualification from Lok Sabha after he was found guilty in a 2019 defamation case for his ‘Modi-surname’ remark made during poll campaigning that year.