Sanjay Raut tells Trump Bengal polls internal issue. Then lists all internal issues
Uddhav Sena MP Sanjay Raut has written to Donald Trump objecting to his message congratulating Narendra Modi on the BJP's West Bengal victory. He said allegations around the conduct of the polls should be examined before such endorsements are made.
Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Friday wrote an open letter to US President Donald Trump, objecting to his congratulatory message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Bharatiya Janata Party’s victory in the West Bengal Assembly polls, and telling him to stay out of India’s internal matters. However, in the lengthy message, he went on to detail the internal and intricate aspects of the Bengal elections, urging Trump to “emphasise democratic values” instead of celebrating the result.
In a post on X in which he tagged Trump, Raut said he was responding to the US President's best wishes to Modi following the BJP's win in West Bengal. He described Trump's endorsement as "premature and misplaced" and said, "These are state-level elections -- an internal matter of India's federal democracy."
Raut said "serious concerns" had emerged after the polls. "Numerous complaints allege an atmosphere of fear, intimidation, and systemic pressure. There are widespread perceptions that the Election Commission did not act impartially and that its functioning appeared to favour the BJP, raising questions about institutional neutrality," he wrote.
He also referred to the deployment of central forces, writing, "Equally troubling are allegations regarding the extensive deployment of central forces, which many believe created coercion rather than confidence." Raut asked Trump to take "a more informed and balanced view" of the developments.
Questioning the basis of Trump's message, Raut wrote, "Democracy is not just about elections -- it is about ensuring they are free, fair, and credible. When serious allegations arise, they warrant scrutiny, not celebration. Were these concerns considered before your statement?"
As soon as the post went viral, several social media users were unsparing in their criticism of Raut, with one user writing, “If leaders like Sanjay Raut are writing letters to Donald Trump, then rest assured something good has happened in Bengal.” While another wrote, “The author of this tweet, who is an MP, is an accused in a scam where he was in jail for a considerable period of time. The case is still going on in court.”
In the 293-member Bengal Assembly, the BJP won 207 seats and unseated the Trinamool Congress government led by Mamata Banerjee. The TMC finished second with 80 seats, bringing its 15-year rule in the state to an end.
After the BJP’s result in West Bengal, Trump congratulated PM Modi on the victory, calling it a “historic” and “decisive” result, while also saying that India is “lucky to have him as its leader.”
The message from the White House came as the BJP stormed to power in West Bengal for the first time, ending the 15-year rule of Mamata Banerjee.
“Just last month on their phone call, President Trump expressed to Prime Minister Modi his admiration and how lucky India is to have him as its leader. The President congratulates Prime Minister Modi on this recent, historic, and decisive election victory,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Friday wrote an open letter to US President Donald Trump, objecting to his congratulatory message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Bharatiya Janata Party’s victory in the West Bengal Assembly polls, and telling him to stay out of India’s internal matters. However, in the lengthy message, he went on to detail the internal and intricate aspects of the Bengal elections, urging Trump to “emphasise democratic values” instead of celebrating the result.
In a post on X in which he tagged Trump, Raut said he was responding to the US President's best wishes to Modi following the BJP's win in West Bengal. He described Trump's endorsement as "premature and misplaced" and said, "These are state-level elections -- an internal matter of India's federal democracy."
Raut said "serious concerns" had emerged after the polls. "Numerous complaints allege an atmosphere of fear, intimidation, and systemic pressure. There are widespread perceptions that the Election Commission did not act impartially and that its functioning appeared to favour the BJP, raising questions about institutional neutrality," he wrote.
He also referred to the deployment of central forces, writing, "Equally troubling are allegations regarding the extensive deployment of central forces, which many believe created coercion rather than confidence." Raut asked Trump to take "a more informed and balanced view" of the developments.
Questioning the basis of Trump's message, Raut wrote, "Democracy is not just about elections -- it is about ensuring they are free, fair, and credible. When serious allegations arise, they warrant scrutiny, not celebration. Were these concerns considered before your statement?"
As soon as the post went viral, several social media users were unsparing in their criticism of Raut, with one user writing, “If leaders like Sanjay Raut are writing letters to Donald Trump, then rest assured something good has happened in Bengal.” While another wrote, “The author of this tweet, who is an MP, is an accused in a scam where he was in jail for a considerable period of time. The case is still going on in court.”
In the 293-member Bengal Assembly, the BJP won 207 seats and unseated the Trinamool Congress government led by Mamata Banerjee. The TMC finished second with 80 seats, bringing its 15-year rule in the state to an end.
After the BJP’s result in West Bengal, Trump congratulated PM Modi on the victory, calling it a “historic” and “decisive” result, while also saying that India is “lucky to have him as its leader.”
The message from the White House came as the BJP stormed to power in West Bengal for the first time, ending the 15-year rule of Mamata Banerjee.
“Just last month on their phone call, President Trump expressed to Prime Minister Modi his admiration and how lucky India is to have him as its leader. The President congratulates Prime Minister Modi on this recent, historic, and decisive election victory,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said.
