Sena leader Sanjay Raut slammed Devendra Fadnavis. (File)
Hitting out at former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis over his remark that Pakistan's "Karachi will one day become a part of India", Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday said "they should first work on bringing back Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK)" and then talk about Karachi.
"If Karachi comes to India, then we will welcome it. First, bring back the part of Kashmir that is occupied by Pakistan. We will go to Karachi later," Mr Raut told reporters in Mumbai when asked to comment on Mr Fadnavis's ''Akhand Bharat'' remark.
On Saturday, Mr Fadnavis had told reporters: "We believe in ''Akhand Bharat''. We also believe that Karachi will be a part of India one day."
His remark came while he was commenting on a controversy that erupted after a Shiv Sena leader was seen in a clip asking the "Karachi Sweets" shop owner in Mumbai's Bandra West to remove the word "Karachi" from the shop's name.
A video of Shiv Sena leader Nitin Nandgaokar was widely shared on social media last week where he was seen speaking with the Karachi Sweets shop owner.
"You have to do it... we are giving you time. Change ''Karachi'' to something in Marathi," Mr Nandgaokar had said in the video.
Later, Mr Raut said that the demand for changing names of Karachi bakery and Karachi sweets is not his party's official stance.
"Karachi bakery and Karachi sweets have been in Mumbai for the last 60 years. They have nothing to do with Pakistan. It makes no sense to ask for changing their names now. Demand for changing their name is not Shiv Sena's official stance," Mr Raut had tweeted on November 19.
On Sunday, Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik also responded to Mr Fadnavis's remarks, saying that his party - the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) - will welcome the move if BJP creates one country by merging India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
"The way Devendra ji has said that time will come that Karachi will be the part of India. We have been saying that India, Pakistan and Bangladesh should be merged. If the Berlin wall can be demolished then why not India, Pakistan and Bangladesh can come together? If BJP wishes to merge these three countries and make a single country, we will welcome it definitely," Mr Malik had told ANI.