Sanjay Raut, the self-proclaimed political strategist and pastime shaayar, in his weekly column titled Rokhtokh published in the party mouthpiece Saamana, decided to dissect the intentions of Sonu Sood and question his noble efforts to extend a helping hand to migrant workers and those languishing in various parts of Maharashtra, facing the brunt of the lockdown.
Taking a sly dig at Sood, Sanjay Raut called the film actor “Mahatma Sood”, and further questioned how the actor was able to get hold of various requisite permissions from state governments. He also seemed to wonder as to how Sonu Sood was funding his entire campaign of helping migrant workers and the destitute. In the same line, he suggested that many actors would promote any political party if paid well. He then went on to say, “The BJP has adopted Sonu Sood and tried to create an influence among the North Indian migrant workers“.
“People might soon hear Sonu Sood’s name in PM Modi’s “Mann Ki Baat” radio programme”, Raut said, adding, “Sonu Sood might even visit Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi as a star campaigner for the BJP.” To top it all, the clearly freaked out political strategist also said that Sonu Sood had been propped up by the BJP in order to show the state government in a bad light. Meanwhile, the NCP has jumped in as well, as Anil Deshmukh praised Sonu Sood’s efforts and Majeed Memon disapproved of Sanjay Raut’s ‘Mahatma’ taunt.
Now, we hate to break it to you, Raut, but your government is in bad light in any case, and the BJP need not do as much as raise a finger to make people realize the same. The Maha Vikas Aghadi has directly overlooked, and going by its inefficiency, also played a pivotal role in the vinash of Maharashtra due to the pandemic. More on that later in the article.
Sonu Sood, along with Neeti Goel, has sent over 20,000 migrant workers to their hometowns and villages so far, by buses, trains and even flights. In the next two weeks, as many as 70,000 more such workers will be ferried to their destinations, free of cost, with all necessary nourishment provided to them during their journey. For thousands of workers and helpless people, Sood and his team have emerged as no less than messiahs. Sonu Sood and his team provide meals to over 45,000 people daily, apart from feeding close to 1000 stray dogs and cats every day as well. Sonu Sood is one name that is being taken by all those in dire need of help, and rest assured, help is reaching them.
As such, for a pompous little politician like Sanjay Raut to cast aspersions on the noble work being done by Sonu Sood not only reeks of gross entitlement and power gush, but also malice, insecurity, and paranoia. At a time when Maharashtra has gone down the drains due to an inefficient and incapacitated government, Sanjay Raut somehow magically appears in an editorial and has the temerity to paint Sonu Sood with his political brush.
To cover up the daylight disaster which Sanjay Raut made of himself and his party by ranting against Sood, Uddhav Thackeray last night decided to meet the actor. His son, Aditya Thackeray took to Twitter to call Sood a “good soul”. He then, evidently embarrassed, also said that no misunderstandings exist, only a commitment to help people does.
The CM @OfficeofUT was glad to meet @SonuSood and discussed the work everyone is doing for the people during covid relief. Misunderstandings don’t exist but what does is a commitment to help people.
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) June 7, 2020
Shiv Sena is visibly insecure. Why won’t they be, after all? After gobbling up numbers to form an inefficient and weak government which is not certainly given to see the light of the next day at any given moment, the last thing which they would be wanting, is for a North Indian film actor to steal the “Best Chief Minister’s” thunder from below his feet.
Maharashtra for long has been the indisputable leader when it comes to the number of CoVID-19 cases and deaths. Being the worst affected state in India, Maharashtra has an unmitigated disaster to deal with at all fronts. Beginning with the primary disaster of an inept government at the helm, followed by an unprecedented migrant crisis on the roads (scenes of which were seen in Bandra). Mumbai, the maximum city has had to face the maximum brunt. With infected jails and hospitals turning CoVID-19 hotspots, the condition of Maharashtra is definitely not good. At this point in time, it cannot be said with much surety as to whether the government is even attempting to fight the pandemic any longer. Policemen and frontline workers have been bearing the maximum brunt of a clueless government not knowing how to deal with the disaster. Scenes of patients lying next to dead bodies only goes on to show what the state of Maharashtra has been reduced to.
Yet, Sanjay Raut found the time and spine to question Sonu Sood? Being the spokesperson of a government which has failed on all fronts, Sanjay Raut would be well advised to tame his thoughts, and consult Uddhav before writing his editorials, so that Sena’s top leadership does not have to resort to subsequent cover-ups and photo-ops due to the loose tongue of its mouthpieces’ editor.