Sanjay Raut is Shiv Sena leader, Rajya Sabha MP, and executive editor of the Shiv Sena’s Marathi newspaper Saamana. In this interview with Abhinandan Sekhri, he talks about the changing nature of his party, the future of Indian democracy, and what he perceives as prime minister Narendra Modi’s abuse of power.

Sanjay talks about a letter he wrote to the Rajya Sabha chairperson earlier this month, where he alleged he had been harassed by the Enforcement Directorate. He draws an analogy between the Emergency and what’s happening today to describe the “misuse of power” by the current government.

On the ongoing hijab row in Karnataka, Sanjay blames the BJP for stoking communal tension, claiming that the Shiv Sena would never “stoop down” to this level, despite sharing the same blood as the BJP. The conversation also spans political horse trading in Goa, the Ram Mandir, and China’s activities in Ladakh.

Watch.

Text by Yusra Hasan.