Some rebel MLAs will certainly return: Sanjay Raut
Mumbai (PTI): Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut claimed on Friday that at least some of the rebel MLAs will return to the party fold.
Speaking two days after his release on bail in a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), he also said a parliamentary committee should look into all such cases.
As many as 40 Shiv Sena MLAs including current Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde rebelled against the party leadership in June which led to the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led government.
Some of them will certainly come back. I am confident that some will return, Raut told ABP Majha, a Marathi news channel.
The rebel MLAs were now giving reasons for leaving the party, Raut said, adding, "What has Shiv Sena not done for these people? The party has done more for them than for me."
In the PMLA cases there is no scope for quick bail, and many of such cases are registered out of political vendetta or to settle personal scores, the Rajya Sabha MP said.
There should be a "bench" of a retired Supreme Court judge or a Joint Parliamentary Committee with high representation of opposition members to look into these cases, Raut said.
He also said he had no personal animosity for BJP leader and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.
He reiterated his praise for Fadnavis for some of the decisions taken by the government related to housing for the poor.
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EAM Jaishankar meets Jamaican PM, gifts over 10 BHISHM Cubes
Kingston (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and discussed ways to further deepen "political, economic and people-to-people cooperation."
Jaishankar also conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Holness.
"Pleased to call on Prime Minister @AndrewHolnessJM in Kingston. Conveyed the greetings of PM @narendramodi," Jaishankar posted on X.
"Discussed deepening our political, economic and people-to-people cooperation. Value his commitment towards further strengthening India-Jamaica relations," the post further read.
Also, the external affairs minister handed over 10 BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri) Cubes as a gift to Jamaica.
"Formally handed over 10 BHISHM Cubes as a gift from India to Jamaica, in the presence of PM @AndrewHolnessJM, Health Minister @christufton and FM @kaminajsmith," Jaishankar posted on X.
"The BHISHM Cube mobile hospital system, designed for rapid deployment, will help Jamaica during disasters and emergencies. The gift of these cubes is a statement of friendship, a commitment to disaster preparedness, and an outcome of innovation," the post said.
Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday evening, marking the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, aimed at further strengthening India's strategic and cultural ties with the Caribbean nations.
Earlier in the day, he interacted with the Indian diaspora and discussed India's ongoing transformation in infrastructure, human development and technology-driven governance and entrepreneurship with them.
He also highlighted the cricket bond between both countries as India gifted a scoreboard to Jamaica.
A scoreboard was dedicated at Sabina Park in Kingston. It is the home of the Jamaica cricket team and is the only Test cricket ground in the Caribbean island nation.
The minister expressed hope that the new scoreboard would witness many memorable innings, including those symbolising the enduring friendship between the two countries.
Cricket has long been a strong cultural bridge between India and Jamaica, which is part of the West Indies cricket team.
Jamaican players, including Chris Gayle, Courtney Walsh and Michael Holding, have played a major role in shaping the legacy of West Indies cricket in the international arena, contributing to its dominance in earlier decades and its continued global appeal.
