Border row: Shambhuraj Desai asks Sanjay Raut to 'control his tongue'

Maharashtra minister Shambhuraj Desai on Wednesday asked Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut to control his tongue if he has to avoid taking rest again the PTI reportedTalking to reporters in Mumbai Desai one of the two ministers from Maharashtra who was deputed to visit Belagavi amid the border row slammed Raut over his recent statements on the issueIt looks like the outside atmosphere doesnt suit you Raut You should control your tongue to avoid going back to rest he said adding that Raut came out of jail after resting for threeandahalf months as per the PTIRaut was recently released from a Mumbai jail on bail in a money laundering case Raut walked out of Mumbais Arthur Road jail on November 9 after a special court granted him bail in a money laundering case He was arrested on August 1 by the Enforcement Directorate ED in connection with the case related to a housing project in suburban GoregaonDesai who is the state Excise Minister was targeting Raut for his criticism of the Eknath Shindeled government over the simmering border dispute between Maharashtra and KarnatakaSanjay Raut has been targeting the Shinde government over the MaharashtraKarnataka border dispute over the past few daysOn Wednesday he demanded that Belagavi in Karnataka be declared a Union Territory and claimed incidents of violence in Belagavi cannot take place without Delhis support Hitting out at Maharashtra CM Shinde saying the state government appeared weak and helpless to counter such attacks Raut also alleged that attempts were being made to make Maharashtra unstableAlso Read Sharad Pawar gives 24hr ultimatum to stop attacks on Maharashtra vehiclesEarlier state Bharatiya Janata Party BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule had also wondered if Raut has learnt provocative language in jailDesai claimed that Raut who is the leader of Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray has said he would visit Belagavi under the leadership of Nationalist Congress Party NCP chief Sharad PawarWill he not go under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray We were warning Uddhavji not to trust Sanjay Raut who has bowed before NCP he said and asked why Raut hasnt gone to Belagavi to complete a court formality over his speech there some years agoHitting back at Desai Raut wrote on Twitter Is this an open threat Mr Minister While the state government is mum on the issue of our pride those raising voice for Maharashtra are seen as enemies It is evident that law and judiciary are under pressure but people will not sit and watch Its clear now those speaking the truth will be sent to jailMinister Desai has threatened him to keep quiet or go back to jail Raut said adding that state BJP president Bawankule uses the same languageWell I have a question do they own the law and judiciary of the country Remember this is the land of great Dr Ambedkar and Ramshastri he saidThe decadesold raging dispute between the two states spilled onto roads on Tuesday with stones being hurled at vehicles entering Karnataka from the Maharashtra side near a toll booth at Hirebaugwadi in Belagavi district Similarly at least four buses from Karnataka were defaced in Pune district allegedly by activists of the Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena MNSwith PTI inputs