Sanjay Raut's Indira Gandhi-Karim Lala Meeting Remark Rocks Maha Alliance Boat

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut kicked up a major controversy with his remark on Wednesday, that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi used to go to meet underworld don of yesteryears in Mumbai, Karim Lala. Raut, who is not new to controversies, added that it was the underworld which would decide back then, on the appointments of Mumbai police commissioners, among other things.

Raut's statement riled the Congress and its leaders, Sanjay Nirupam and Milind Deora condemned it. The latter reminded Raut of the stature of Indira Gandhi terming her a patriot. Deora asked politicians not to misrepresent legacies of deceased politicians.

Sanjay Nirupam took a jibe at Raut saying he should stick to reciting low-grade poetry and asked the Sena heavyweight to withdraw his comment, which he did on Thursday, claiming he had always respected Indira Gandhi and defended the former PM even when Congressmen failed to do so.

Former Maharashtra chief Minister and BJP leader, Devendra Fadnavis took potshots at the Congress in the wake of Sanjay Raut's remark and wondered whether the party had been funded by the underworld. The party needs to answer these posers, he said.

The Congress was clearly less than pleased with the turn of events. It was reported that senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge asked Maharashtra Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat to convey the party's displeasure over the issue to the Shiv Sena and to remind it of the fact that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance was in power to keep the BJP out. Kharge is reported to have asked Thorat to urge Sena leaders to focus on the Common Minimum Programme (CMP).

Thorat did not take lightly to Devendra Fadnavis's jibes. He accused Fadnavis of having links with underworld don, Munna Yadav, a charge promptly denied by the former Maharashtra chief minister.

Fadnavis in his tweet, remarked that "Mr. Raut has neither denied, nor retracted the statement that Congress Governments were run by the underworld and Mumbai CP was appointed by the underworld."

As the Indira Gandhi-Karim Lala link controversy continues to play out, former Union minister, Salman Khursheed tried to brush it aside saying that prime ministers meet a diverse cross-section of society for resolution of various problems, while Union minister Prakash Javadekar sought answers to the points raised by Sanjay Raut, though he subsequently withdrew his comment. Clearly, the storm in the MVA government teacup is likely to brew for some time.