In his weekly column, Rokhthok in party’s mouthpiece Saamana, Raut said the BJP has a different definition of nationalism.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday said that a country cannot be without religion, but religion is not equivalent to nationalism. Referring to the recently concluded Delhi Assembly elections, Raut said the result have shown what real nationalism means. Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party bagged 62 seats in the 70-member House, while BJP got eight and Congress zero seats.

In his weekly column, Rokhthok in party’s mouthpiece Saamana, Raut said the BJP has a different definition of nationalism. “It is the duty of the BJP government to fight with enemies like Pakistan, throwing out infiltrators, removing Article 370… (But) Improving education, health facilities, power, water and providing shelter is real nationalism. Two crore people have lost jobs in last one or two years. Do you call it nationalism? A country cannot be without religion, but the religion does not mean nationalism. Delhi result is saying the same.”

Raut said Kejriwal had gone beyond politics of religion, caste and region and all regional parties need to learn from it. “The BJP feels religion is its basis. It brought Lord Ram in the polls, but ‘Hanuman bhakt’ Kejriwal won because he brought the ‘Ram Rajya’ in Delhi,” the MP added.

Taking a dig at its former ally, Raut said, “The BJP campaigners, during Delhi polls, used to say that those who will not vote for the party are anti-nationals. Delhi, the national capital, has voted against the BJP. Will you now call the entire Delhi anti-national? After Kejriwal’s victory, lakhs of people came on the streets and shouted slogans like Vande Mataram and Bharat Mata ki Jai. Is this nationalism not acceptable to BJP?”