Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday said Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray had immense respect for Indira Gandhi and claimed party leader Sanjay Raut's controversial statements on the former prime minister were taken out of context.

Raut, a Shiv Sena MP, on Wednesday set-off a political storm with his remarks that Gandhi had met gangster Karim Lala in Mumbai. As the Congress, part of the ruling coalition, took strong objection to the controversial comments, calling them "ill-informed", Raut on Thursday withdrew the remarks.