Overview
- Senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut made the comparison to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and called Prime Minister Narendra Modi "extreme and ruthless" during a press conference on Saturday in Pune.
- Raut spoke at Hotel Ketan on Fergusson College Road and used the remarks to argue that length of tenure is not the sole measure of greatness, citing Aurangzeb's 4,732 days in power.
- He also warned political opponents about consequences of losing power and framed his remarks in regional and historical terms by referencing Gujarat as Aurangzeb's birthplace.
- There were no confirmed group defections from Shiv Sena (UBT) reported after the speech; NDA sources told reporters they are monitoring the party closely and nine Lok Sabha MPs would need at least six to defect together to avoid disqualification under the anti‑defection law.
- The BJP publicly condemned Raut's language as an insult to the prime minister and to Gujarat, and commentators say the episode could deepen questions about party cohesion and spur further political maneuvering after recent high‑profile rebellions in other opposition parties.