Sanjay Raut demands Bharat Ratna for Balasaheb Thackeray, criticises Modi, Shah
Mumbai: On the birth anniversary of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut called for conferring him with the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour.
"Balasaheb Thackeray should be awarded the Bharat Ratna. He established Shiv Sena and fought for the rights of Marathi people," Raut said on Thursday.
Raut criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah after they paid homage to Thackeray on X (formerly Twitter). "Conferring the Bharat Ratna would be the true respect for Balasaheb. PM Modi and Amit Shah attempted to break Shiv Sena, and now they are tweeting to wish him on his birthday. This is hypocrisy," he remarked.
He also took a dig at Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, accusing them of paying insincere tributes. "Shiv Sena was Balasaheb Thackeray's soul, and they attacked it for political gains," he added.
Praising Thackeray, Raut stated, "Leaders like Balasaheb Thackeray are born once in a lifetime. He transformed ordinary people into leaders without ever holding a position himself."
Earlier in the day, PM Modi, Amit Shah, and other prominent leaders paid homage to Thackeray. In a post on X, PM Modi said, "I pay homage to Balasaheb Thackeray Ji on his birth anniversary. He is widely respected for his commitment to public welfare and Maharashtra’s development."
Balasaheb Thackeray founded the Shiv Sena party and was known for his advocacy for Maratha and Hindu causes.
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Kohli's U-19 teammate Amanpreet Singh Gill dies at 36
New Delhi (PTI): Former India U-19 and Punjab medium pacer Amanpreet Singh Gill died at the age of 36 in Chandigarh on Wednesday, leaving the cricket fraternity in mourning.
The cause of death is not yet known.
Gill, who was Virat Kohli's U-19 teammate, featured in six first-class matches for Punjab, picking up 11 wickets.
He was also part of the Punjab franchise (Kings XI Punjab) in the inaugural Indian Premier League season, and later served as a member of Punjab's senior selection committee.
"Punjab Cricket Association deeply mourns the sad demise of Amanpreet Singh Gill, former Punjab cricketer and Member, Senior Selection Committee Punjab,” the Punjab Cricket Association announced on X.
"Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and loved ones. May Waheguru grant eternal peace to the departed soul and strength to the family in this difficult time."
Two-time World Cup-winning India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh also paid tribute to Gill.
"Deeply saddened to hear about Amanpreet Singh Gill’s passing. Shared the dressing room in our early days, he was a quiet, hardworking cricketer who loved the game. My heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones. Rest in peace Om Shanti,” Singh posted on X.
Gill played five Youth ODIs and one Youth Test for India in 2007.
In the longer format, he claimed the wicket of former Sri Lanka all-rounder Thisara Perera.
However, he did not make the Virat Kohli-led India U-19 side that went on to win the 2008 World Cup.
“Deeply saddened by the passing of Amanpreet Singh Shergill, who proudly represented Punjab and was a part of the Punjab Kings family. Our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and the entire cricketing fraternity,” Punjab Kings posted on their official Instagram account.
