Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut in an emotional letter to his mother dated August 8, a week after his arrest in connection with the Patra Chawl scam, has claimed that there was pressure on him to betray his party and that he landed in jail as he did not pay heed to it.
Raut, whose custody has been extended up to October 17, said that Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray and Shiv Sainiks were like her own children and till the time he was in jail, they would take care of her.
‘’Mom, I will definitely come back". It further said "Shiv Sena is our mother as you are my mother. I was pressured to be dishonest with my mother". Raut further told his mother that he had to go to jail because he was not afraid of the threats. The letter was shared on Raut's Twitter account on Wednesday. "You have engraved on our minds that we should be loyal to Shiv Sena," Raut said in the letter.
‘’Like you, the Shiv Sena is also my mother. I had pressure to betray my mother (the party). There were threats not to speak against the government as it will prove costly. I did not pay heed to the threat which is why I am away from you," the letter said.
Raut said Uddhav Thackeray is his dear friend and a leader, and that it would be difficult to face Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray if he left Uddhav's side in his trying times.
Raut also assured his mother that he will definitely be out of jail as the "soul" of Maharashtra and the country cannot be killed.
I will not bow down before his political rivals as I have learned self-respect from you. You have taught us not to be dishonest to Shiv Sena. You have engraved in your mind that we should not be dishonest with Balasaheb. If Shiv Sena is left in difficult times, what will Balasaheb do," the letter read.
