Sanjay Raut, a leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT), called six rebel party lawmakers traitors for skipping a parliamentary meeting in Delhi [1].
The outburst signals deepening fractures within the party as internal disputes over ministerial positions threaten to further destabilize the organization's leadership structure.
The conflict centered on a key meeting convened by Uddhav Thackeray. Raut said the absence of the six MPs [1] was an act of disloyalty to the party's core mission.
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Raut used harsh language to describe the lawmakers who missed the gathering. He said, "Dogs are more loyal than those attempting to split the party" [1]. He said the lawmakers were traitors for skipping the meeting [2].
Beyond the missed meeting, Raut alleged that the internal strife is driven by personal ambition. He said there is a fight among rebel MPs over who will become a Union minister after switching sides [3].
Reports on the exact timing of the remarks vary between Thursday and Friday, June 18 and 19, 2024 [2, 3]. Regardless of the date, the rhetoric reflects a volatile environment where party loyalty is being weighed against the promise of government posts. The tension persists as the party attempts to maintain cohesion while facing repeated attempts by members to defect to opposing political factions.
“Dogs are more loyal than those attempting to split the party.”
The public condemnation of these lawmakers suggests that the Shiv Sena (UBT) is struggling to maintain discipline among its ranks. By framing the dispute as a matter of loyalty versus greed for ministerial posts, Raut is attempting to delegitimize the rebels' motivations and solidify the party's image as a principled entity against opportunistic defections.
