Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut told media persons in Mumbai on Saturday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a “political businessman”.

“He is a political businessman. The PM makes a big event out of every small thing and he pays attention to how to focus the camera on himself and how to appear on camera. You might wonder why I made such a statement. So let us tell you the reason behind it,” Raud said.

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“Last Friday, at the inaugural ceremony of the 98th All India Marathi Sahitya Sammelan in Delhi, NCP leader Sharad Pawar gave a speech. He was tired after the long speech. So the PM who was present on the stage filled Sharad Pawar’s glass with water from a water bottle and also helped him to sit on a chair.

Seeing this, the entire hall echoed with thunderous applause. This video has gone viral on social media. The same PM had called Sharad Pawar a wandering soul earlier. PM Modi does such things to look good on camera. So why did the same PM who once called Sharad Pawar a wandering soul offered water to the wandering soul,” Raut said.

Raut said that the PM used to say that Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar have completely looted Maharashtra. “Now the nephew Ajit Pawar who was on the same stage, is with the BJP and the PM offered water to Sharad Pawar whom he once called a wandering soul,” Raut said.

“Sharad Pawar is senior to PM Narendra Modi. Simply because someone has the post of Prime Minister does not make him superior or senior. Sharad Pawar was the welcome chairman of the Sahitya Sammelan. So I thought that PM Modi would not sit next to Sharad Pawar. After all, how could the PM sit next to a wandering soul? How did the Prime Minister’s Office let him sit next to Sharad Pawar?

Criticising PM Modi, Raut said, “There is talk about respect, honour and dignity, but all this is just show business and pretense.

Modi always says in his speeches that he has great respect for Hindu Hriday Samrat (Emperor Of Hindu Hearts) Balasaheb Thackeray, but he split the Shiv Sena founded by Balasaheb Thackeray mercilessly. and also split the party built by Sharad Pawar through hard work. Then what kind of respect and honour is the PM talking about,” Raut said.