Opposition May Back Delimitation Bill If Amendments Accepted, Says Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Thursday indicated that the Opposition might reconsider its stance on the proposed delimitation bill if the government incorporates amendments suggested by them. Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Raut said the Opposition will resist the bill initially, but if the necessary changes are made, they will sit together and discuss it.

The government plans to introduce the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill in the Monsoon session of Parliament starting July 20, proposing to increase Lok Sabha seats to 850 and initiate delimitation. However, Raut noted that it is not yet certain if the bill will be tabled in this session. He emphasised that any decision will be taken collectively by the Opposition INDIA bloc.

Raut's comments follow Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leader Supriya Sule's statement that if the bill is based on a uniform 50% increase in seats across all states, there would be little reason to oppose it. Sule, however, clarified that the final decision will be made after discussions within the alliance.

Separately, Raut addressed the Shiv Sena (UBT)'s upcoming 'Ram Raksha Andolan' on Saturday, a protest against alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. He questioned Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over reports of a theft of ₹550 crore from the temple's donation box and alleged that ₹13,000 crore had been looted over the past 12 years. Raut challenged Fadnavis to respond to these allegations, accusing the BJP of avoiding the issue.

In response to Fadnavis's criticism that staging the protest without knowledge of the Ram Raksha hymn is inappropriate, Raut retorted that the issue is not about knowing the hymn but about addressing the alleged theft. He invited Fadnavis to participate in the protest as a Ram devotee, not as a chief minister.

Raut also said the Sena (UBT) will invite RSS office-bearers and other Hindutva organisations to the protest, which will be held near a temple or on nearby roads in Nagpur, close to Fadnavis's residence. He added that they plan to set up a small dais where Uddhav Thackeray will address the gathering.

Regarding reports that the BJP is preparing to celebrate Fadnavis's birthday at the same venue on July 22, Raut took a swipe, saying if the CM's birthday is considered more important than the Ram temple's prestige, the Opposition would also join the celebration.

Raut also called for an investigation into Govind Dev Giri Maharaj, treasurer of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, in connection with the temple fund probe.