Mumbai, Feb 4 (PTI) – Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has made a sensational claim about Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, alleging that superstition is preventing him from moving into the official residence of the Chief Minister, ‘Varsha’, in south Mumbai.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Raut suggested that Fadnavis has not shifted to ‘Varsha’ due to an alleged superstition linked to buffalo sacrifices that took place during Eknath Shinde’s visit to Guwahati. According to Raut, the horns of buffaloes allegedly slaughtered during Shinde's trip to the Kamakhya temple were buried on the premises of ‘Varsha’ to prevent the Chief Minister's position from being held by anyone other than Shinde.
Raut, a Rajya Sabha member, remarked, "Why isn't Fadnavis moving into ‘Varsha’? The CM has said that even if he does, he will not sleep there. What does this mean? The ‘limbu samrat, limbu mirchi’ (a term used for black magic practitioners) in Shiv Sena should answer this."
In the context, ‘limbu’ (lemon) and ‘mirchi’ (chilli) are believed by some to be used in black magic rituals.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader further alleged, "I’ve heard that within the BJP, there are talks about buffalo horns being buried in the lawns of ‘Varsha’ so that the CM's position does not stay with anyone else. This is what the staff is saying."
However, there was no immediate reaction from Devendra Fadnavis or his aides regarding Raut’s claims. Responding sarcastically, Maharashtra's Deputy CM Eknath Shinde quipped, “Raut is an expert in that field. He should know.”
This latest accusation from Raut echoes previous allegations, where he had suggested that buffaloes were sacrificed in Guwahati when Shinde rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray and joined forces with the BJP, ultimately toppling the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
In his statement, Raut also called on Fadnavis to explain why he was not residing at ‘Varsha’, a residence he described as the "pride of the state." He emphasized that Maharashtra, a state historically known for its tradition of social reformers like Mahatma Phule, Prabodhankar Thackeray, and Gadge Maharaj—who fought against superstition—should not let such beliefs infiltrate the state's corridors of power.
As of now, there has been no official clarification from Fadnavis or the BJP regarding Raut's claims.
