Mumbai: Shiv Sena chief spokesperson and party’s Member of Parliament Sanjay Raut has stoked controversy by claiming that former prime minister Indira Gandhi had contact with yesteryear gangster Karim Lala and that the two used to meet each other in Mumbai.
However, soon after this, the leader apologised and said that will take back the statement if it has hurt anybody’s sentiments.
During an interview with the Lokmat media group at its award function in Pune on Wednesday, January 15, Raut claimed that “Indira Gandhi used to meet Karim Lala in Pydhonie (in south Mumbai).”
When furore broke out, Raut said that his comments were twisted by those unaware of Mumbai’s history and what he meant was that the former prime minister met gangster Karim Lala in his capacity as the representative of the Pathan community.
“There was a time when gangsters Dawood Ibrahim, Chhota Shakeel, Sharad Shetty decided who would be Police Commissioner of Mumbai and who would go to the `Mantralaya` Indira Gandhi used to go and meet gangster Karim Lala. We`ve seen that underworld, now it`s just nothing. When Haji Mastan used to come to ‘Mantralaya’, the entire ‘Mantralaya’ would come down to see him. Indira Ji used to come to meet Karim Lala at his residence in Pydhonie (in south Mumbai),” Raut had said.
Many Congress leaders including Milind Deora objected to the statement and called Raut’s statement to be ‘ill-informed’.
Following this, Raut has said that he is willing to take back his statement.
