New Delhi, Feb 20 (PTI) Days after lashing out at NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar for honouring Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday likened the veteran leader to Maratha general Mahadji Shinde, who had conquered Delhi in the 18th century.

Sharing the stage with Pawar at a book release function here, Rajya Sabha MP Raut showered praise on the NCP (SP) chief and hailed him as the leader Maharashtra looked forward to in the national capital.

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Last month, the Shiv Sena (UBT) was fuming at Pawar for felicitating Eknath Shinde -- who toppled the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government in 2022 to become the chief minister with BJP's support -- with the Mahadji Shinde award instituted by a Pune-based NGO.

"Sharad Pawar is not our opponent and never an enemy. He is our guide and our leader. He is our Mahadji Shinde," Raut said after releasing the book 'Sansad Te Centra Vista (From Parliament to Central Vista) penned by Nileshkumar Kulkarni.

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Raut said the generals of the Maratha empire were kingmakers in Delhi and appointed rulers here after conquering it twice.

However, if someone comes to Delhi with the intention to settle here permanently, he is unable to do so, Raut said.

"This is a city of transition. Outsiders come here, rule and go back. Those who are ruling Delhi today will also have to return. Some have returned to Rajasthan, some to Maharashtra and some will return to Gujarat," Raut said.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader also said that betrayal and conspiracy are part and parcel of life in Delhi.

Pawar recounted his first visit to Delhi in 1962-63 for a Congress meeting and how he and some of his fellow colleagues in the party were left awestruck when they first saw Jawaharlal Nehru in person.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)