‘Muslims brothers abroad, here enemies’: Sanjay Raut dices PM Modi
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Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s contrasting approach towards Muslims abroad and in India, pointing to the Prime Minister’s meetings with Muslim leaders during foreign visits.
Raut argued that Modi’s interactions with Muslim leaders in other countries, including visits to mosques and meetings with prominent members of the community, raise questions about why a similar approach is not reflected in his dealings with Muslims in India.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader criticised what he described as a double standard in the Prime Minister’s treatment of Muslims. He questioned the logic of portraying Muslims in foreign countries as friends and brothers while the community in India is allegedly viewed through a more hostile political lens.
“Brother abroad, enemy here — how can this work?” he was heard saying in a video.
Raut’s remarks come amid an intensifying debate in Maharashtra over the participation of Muslims in public events and religious celebrations. Controversies surrounding the participation of Muslims in Garba and Navratri festivities have recently generated political friction and renewed discussions over communal relations in the state.
The remarks add to the opposition’s broader criticism of the Modi government’s handling of issues concerning minorities. Raut used the Prime Minister’s overseas engagements as a point of comparison to question whether the respect and inclusiveness displayed towards Muslim communities abroad should not equally extend to Indian Muslims.
The comments are likely to add another layer to the political debate in Maharashtra, where questions surrounding religious participation and communal harmony have increasingly become subjects of political mobilisation.
Raut, a prominent critic of the BJP-led government, has repeatedly targeted the Centre over issues concerning minorities and alleged political polarisation, making his latest remarks part of a wider opposition attack on the Prime Minister’s policies and political messaging.