Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday claimed the BJP was spreading a false narrative against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi while targeting him over his "shakti" remark.

In his weekly column "rokhthok" in the party mouthpiece Saamana, Raut said during his Mumbai rally, Gandhi had said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is just a mask and the opposition has to fight the "shakti" behind it.

"Gandhi meant 'dhan shakti' (money power) against which the opposition has to fight. PM Modi immediately said this was an attack on Hindutva and women power. People who consider themselves as the avatar of Lord Vishnu were shocked by Gandhi's 'shakti' attack and started spreading a false narrative against him. There is also a shakti behind this false propaganda machinery," the Rajya Sabha claimed.

"The BJP has become a mental illness patient," he alleged.

Raut also wondered why a hospital whose income is generated from patients should purchase electoral bonds.

"The Yashoda Super Speciality Hospital purchased Rs 162 crore electoral bonds from October 2021 to October 2023. Which party can accept bonds from a hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic? Agencies involved in conducting the probe into the jumbo COVID-19 centre and khichdi cases should investigate the link of this hospital and the BJP," he said.

The Enforcement Directorate has been conducting a probe into alleged irregularities in setting up of jumbo COVID-19 treatment facilities in Mumbai.

The ED is also conducting a probe into alleged irregularities in a contract given by the Mumbai civic body for providing ‘khichdi’ packets to migrant workers stranded in the city during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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