Raut claimed that the BJP was trying to break Maharashtra into three pieces
Shiv Sainiks had on Friday gone on a rampage protesting against the failure to arrest those accused of razing former Maharashtra chief minister Narayan Rane's residence.
According to insiders, "talks are on" between the Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena at "an exploratory level".
The International Cricket Council on Monday announced that it has withdrawn Pakistan umpire Aleem Dar from the remaining matches in the ongoing India versus South Africa series following threats from Shiv Sena.
'The BJP has 106 MLAs and Eknath Shinde claims the support of 40 MLAs. So why are they both not forming the government right now in Mumbai? Why the delay?' Rediff.com's Syed Firdaus Ashraf reports.
The much-anticipated talks between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Shashank Manohar and his Pakistan counterpart Shahryar Khan will not take place, on Monday, after Shiv Sena, a right-wing political party,
Thackeray's statement comes in the backdrop of rebel group leader Eknath Shinde daring the party to disclose the names of some of the MLAs camping in Guwahati who were reportedly in touch with the party leadership.
'When I felt that the party is drifting away from Hindutva, I tried to speak to Uddhavji. But nobody was ready to listen.'
Shiv Sainiks climbed atop the stage at an open air theatre and shouted slogans like 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Pakistan Murdabad' and disrupted the show for about 5-10 minutes.
The letter was posted by Shinde on his Twitter handle, claiming these were the sentiments of the Sena MLAs.
Talking to reporters, he claimed that despite a split in the Shiv Sena, majority of the "hardcore" Shiv Sainiks who work on the ground stand behind Uddhav Thackeray.
Does Uddhav (and indeed the Sena) have the pizzazz and staying power to continue to be an actor in Maharashtra politics as a paler version of the NCP and an orange rather than saffron version of the BJP, asks Aditi Phadnis.
'The message the BJP is sending is that they are in no way responsible for Uddhav's downfall and it was only Shinde who is to be blamed.'
Here are some of quotes from Uddhav Thackeray's resignation speech.
"The dirt has gone away. Now we can do something good," Thackeray said,
'Modi gave the slogan of 'Jai Shri Ram' just four days ahead of polling for the Delhi Assembly. Will be happy if (the number) goes up by two-four seats with the help of Shri Ram,' the Shiv Sena said.
Rutuja Latke, the candidate of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), secured a comfortable win in the bypoll to Andheri (East) Assembly seat in Mumbai on Sunday, while votes polled in favour of the None of the Above (NOTA) option obtained the second position.
Shiv Sena leader and Kalyan MP Shrikant Shinde on Sunday launched a scathing attack on former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and his MLA son Aaditya Thackeray, accusing them of looting Mumbai and pushing the 'Marathi manoos' out of the city in the last 15 years.
Rebel Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Shirsat on Thursday claimed that both the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are trying to eliminate the Shiv Sena politically from Maharashtra and the MLAs made several attempts to inform Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray about the mala fide intentions of the alliance partners.
Without naming the BJP, Raut said those who want to grab power can do so but the future will belong to Shiv Sena.
Shrikant Shinde made light of threats from some segments of the Sena that rebel MLAs would not be allowed to roam around freely in Maharashtra.
'My father groomed these people and Shiv Sainiks supported them. But now they want to become owners and our institutions are such that they have made a thief the owner of the house. What is happening in the country'
Under pressure from the government, Shiv Sena on Thursday indicated its willingness to shift Bal Thackeray's memorial to the margins of Shivaji Park in Mumbai.
Rediff.com's Uttam Ghosh captured some candid moments on his camera.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi tells Rediff.com's Savera R Someshwar he is shocked that the Marathi Manoos, for whom Balasaheb Thackeray did so much, are raising objections to a samadhi to the Shiv Sena patriarch at Mumbai's Shivaji Park.
The Shiv Sena Bhavan is controlled by 'Shivai Seva Trust'. Its founding trustees include late Bal Thackeray and his wife late Meena Thackeray. Many of the founding trustees are not alive now.
"You want my father's face, but not his son. I was ready to come along. If you ditch me when I wanted to implement a promise given to my father, what should I do?" he asked while targeting the BJP.
The activists shouted slogans like Balasaheb (Bal Thackeray) Zindabad, Shiv Sena Zindabad and M F Husain Murdabad besides distributing pamphlets, which threatened to disrupt any exhibition of Husain in the country.
The Shiv Sena in its mouthpiece Saamana, said that it was very sad that on Thursday, when the whole country was paying tributes to the martyrs of the serial attacks in Mumbai, the BCCI went ahead and declared the venue of the Indo-Pak bilateral series in December.
"I am also quitting as member of Legislative Council," Thackeray said in a webcast.
He did a volte-face on his stand against the Muslim community and Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
Addressing a rally at Nanded as a part of the BJP's outreach campaign to mark the completion of nine years of the Narendra Modi government, Shah said the BJP didn't bring down the Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government last year.
Scores of Shiv Sainiks on Wednesday intensified their stir against Samajwadi Party legislator Abu Asim Azmi by courting arrest outside the Maharashtra legislative assembly.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sainiks have organised a 'puja' at the Siddhivinayak Temple at Prabha Devi in Central Mumbai to pray for Uddhav's speedy recovery.
This was not Sharad Pawar or Prithviraj Chavan speaking. It was Uddhav Thackeray, the undisputed chief of the Shiv Sena!
'It's better to part ways on a happy note than staying together nursing hard feelings.'
The final journey of Shiv Sena patriarch Bal Thackeray began with his body being taken out for funeral procession from his residence in suburban Bandra on Sunday morning amid presence of thousands of grief-stricken Shiv Sainiks, who have come from across Maharashtra.
'It seems as if the 26/11 was not a blood-shed and Pakistan had sent its cricket team who made a double century by killing innocent people and 20 policemen'
Balasaheb Thackeray would have been so happy if Kasab was hanged during his lifetime, 26/11 survivor and Shiv Sainik Vijay Surve tells Vaihayasi Pande Daniel.
Mumbai Joint Commissioner of Police Vishwas Nangre Patil said his team visited Shivaji Park and BKC to take stock of security arrangements at the venues.