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The meeting of Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs began at the party's Parliament office in Delhi on Thursday amid speculation over possible defections under the "Operation Tiger", with senior leader Sanjay Raut asserting that those who skip the meeting would be considered "traitors."
Senior party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut and all nine Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs, including Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai, Sanjay Jadhav, Omprakash Rajenimbalkar, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Deshmukh, Nagesh Patil Ashtikar and Rajabhau Waje, were present at the meeting held at the party's Parliament office. Speaking to reporters ahead of the meeting, Sanjay Raut took a sharp stance on the attendance of party MPs and said, "Jo aayenge wo hamare, nahi aayenge wo beimaan-gaddar" (Those who attend are ours; those who do not are dishonest and traitors). Shiv Sena (UBT) had issued a three-line whip to all its MPs, directing them to attend an important meeting at the party's Parliament office in Delhi. When asked whether he was confident that all MPs of the party would attend the meeting, Arvind Sawant responded with a thumbs up gesture. Meanwhile, Addressing a joint press conference with party MP Arvind Sawant in Delhi, Raut said, "Since when has Shinde's Shiv Sena become the original Shiv Sena? The original Shiv Sena is here. Jahan Thackeray wahan Shiv Sena." Responding to ANI's question on rumours of attempts to engineer defections in Shiv Sena (UBT), Raut struck a defiant tone and challenged those allegedly trying to weaken the party. "...They feel that they have done this once. I would tell them, do it and show us. Aapko nahi todenge na toh hamare baap ka naam nahi batayenge. Hamare baap ka naam Balasaheb Thackeray hai. Are you mocking democracy? Do you have so much of money? Who are you threatening with ED-CBI? Us? We have already been to jail and we are ready to go to jail again. But I will go to jail only after teaching you a lesson..." he said. (ANI)
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