Mumbai: In a dramatic political revelation, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were helped ‘outside the framework of law’ by Balasaheb Thackeray and Sharad Pawar during their early political and legal troubles. The allegations, made in Raut’s new book “Narkatil Swarg” (Heaven in Hell), have sparked uproar in political circles, though the ruling BJP has yet to issue a response.
Raut alleges that Narendra Modi, then Gujarat Chief Minister, was under serious scrutiny during the 2002 Gujarat riots and was on the verge of being arrested while the UPA government was in power. He claims that it was Sharad Pawar who, during a cabinet meeting, opposed the idea of arresting a democratically- elected CM. This opposition reportedly influenced others in the cabinet to fall in line, ultimately saving Modi from arrest. “How much has Modi remembered this favour?” Raut asks in the book.
Similarly, Raut claims that Amit Shah, who was facing trial in a murder case and had been externed from Gujarat, also received crucial support. At a time when the CBI strongly opposed Shah’s bail, a desperate Shah allegedly came to Mumbai with his son and reached out to Balasaheb Thackeray. Raut recounts that after hearing Shah’s plea, Thackeray personally made a call through senior Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi to a key figure, which eventually paved the way for Shah’s bail. ‘Yet, how did Shah repay the Shiv Sena and the Thackeray family?’ Raut questions, referring to the BJP’s later political moves to split the Shiv Sena.
The book further claims that the current Modi-Shah leadership, despite benefiting from the goodwill of leaders like Thackeray and Pawar, later turned against them and the very institutions that once stood by them. Raut points out that while the mainstream media has now largely turned pro-Modi, it was Balasaheb Thackeray and the Shiv Sena who were among the few to support Modi when most political forces and media houses were against him.
These explosive claims, if true, could significantly reshape public understanding of past political alliances and behind-the-scenes dealings. As the political storm brews, all eyes are now on the BJP’s response or silence on these revelations.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut was arrested in connection with a financial scam and spent over 100 days in jail. In his book “Narkatil Swarg” (Heaven in Hell), he has written in detail about his prison experience and the events that unfolded during that time. Raut also explains how the book got its title. The book documents key incidents from the beginning of the investigation to his release from jail, offering a personal account of his journey through the legal and penal system.
