Shiv Sena

In a statement on Monday she said, "Congress will oppose the wrong statements for political benefits and any attempt to question great national leaders like Gandhi-Nehru-Patel-Azad on the basis of incorrect facts." She said that historical facts are being distorted and India has achieved a lot in the last 75 years and democracy has been strengthened. She blamed that the present self-centred government is adamant about proving insignificant the great sacrifices of freedom fighters and this could not be accepted.

PM Modi said the respect for women is an important pillar of India's growth and stressed the need to extend support to 'Nari Shakti' and appealed to change the mentality towards women in everyday life. "I have one request for every Indian. Can we change the mentality towards our women in everyday life. Pride of Nari Shakti will play a vital role in fulfilling the dreams of India. Respect for women is an important pillar for India's growth. We need to support our Nari Shakti", said PM Modi.

Prime Minister Modi said, "We should remember those who fought for Independence and built the nation -- Dr Rajendra Prasad, Nehru ji, Sardar Patel, Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Deendayal Upadhyaya, Jai Prakash Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia, Vinoba Bhave, Nanaji Deshmukh, Subramaniam Bharati -- it is the day to bow before such great people."

PM Modi said that he needs the blessings of 130 crore people to fight this menace. He said while some people don't have a place to live, there are some who don't have a place to keep the looted money. "Two big challenges we face today -- corruption and 'Parivaarvaad' or nepotism. Corruption is hollowing the country like a termite. We have to fight it. We have to also raise awareness against nepotism (Parivaarwaad) to realise the strength of our institutions, and eradicate from the system and to take the country forward on the basis of merit," he said.

Apart from Shiv Sena, other opposition parties also slammed the Centre over Raut's arrest. Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi said, " The message of the 'Raja' (King) is clear- 'whoever speaks against me will suffer'. Efforts are on to break the morale of political opponents and silence the truth by using the government agencies... Well, in the end the 'truth' will win, and the ego will lose."

Raut was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials around midnight in connection with a money laundering case pertaining to Rs 1,034 crore Patra chawl land scam case. Earlier on Sunday, Raut was taken into custody by the central agency. The probe agency had sent several summons to the Sena leader which he skipped leading to his arrest.

The development comes 10 days after the MPs walked over en masse to the Shinde group, named Rahul Shewale as their parliamentary party leader and even submitted a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. "I have sought disqualification of the 12 Shiv Sena rebel MPs," Vinayak Raut, the Shiv Sena Parliamentary Party Leader, told media persons after meeting the Speaker this afternoon in New Delhi.

The plea filed by general secretary of Shiv Sena Subhash Desai submitted that the respondents purportedly have initiated proceedings under para 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968 (Symbols Order) interalia seeking to be recognised as the "real Shiv Sena" by the ECI, and are claiming the right to use the election symbol allotted to Shivsena -- "bow and arrow".

Sanjay Raut said that it is a sad development that the 56-year-old Shiv Sena launched by Balasaheb Thackeray - now led by his son and ex-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray - on the Hindutva plank is now compelled to prove its credentials to the poll panel, and termed it shocking for the people of Maharashtra.

The Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena, with support from the BJP, toppled the Maha Vikas Aghadi government headed by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray last month. Patil also lauded Fadnavis' role as the ex-Leader of Opposition and how he constantly exposed the "misdoings" of the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress alliance for the past two and half years.