Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has triggered a political row in India after an X post citing the violent Albania protests — including the fire at the Supreme Court in Tirana — and saying other countries, "especially India," should take a lesson from them. The post drew attacks from rival Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam, BJP spokespersons, and even a dissenting voice from Raut's own party.
What Raut posted
On Monday, October 19, Raut shared a 13-second video clip of a purported arson incident in Albania, writing in Marathi:
"The people of Albania have burned down the Supreme Court. The people were enraged because the Supreme Court was helping the corrupt prime minister. The protesting public has also attacked the parliament and government offices, as well as the ministers' homes. All countries should learn a lesson from these events. Especially India."
Instead of naming India directly, Raut used an emoji of the Indian flag.
Nirupam's counterattack — and dissent from within
On Tuesday, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam hit back, recalling that Raut had recently apologized to India's Supreme Court. "He said sorry 16 times. Now he's casting aspersions on the Supreme Court and showing scenes of Europe's devastation to incite violence in the country," Nirupam said. Nirupam claimed Raut had "begged" for forgiveness from the Supreme Court just two days earlier.
Criticism also came from within Raut's own party. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi called the remarks "deeply regrettable": "India does not need to learn from any other country. The idea that people should take the law into their own hands, disrupt order, and destabilise institutions, whether it be the Supreme Court or Parliament, is entirely unacceptable."
BJP accuses Raut of pushing anarchy
BJP spokesperson Sidharth Yadav accused the opposition of trying to push Indian democracy "toward anarchy." "And now, Sanjay Raut's remark that India should learn from Albania, where the Supreme Court was set on fire amidst widespread anarchy on the streets," he said in a video message.
BJP's C. R. Kesavan called Raut a "modern-day Mir Jafar" for his language against India's constitutional institutions, NDTV reported, while BJP leader Kirit Somaiya alleged Raut was supporting the burning of Albania's Supreme Court. Reports say a contempt petition against Raut is being pursued before the Supreme Court.
On the other side, Congress leader Udit Raj backed Raut's remarks, linking the debate to bail decisions in high-profile cases, while RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat warned against "regime change" attempts in India, citing France and Albania.
The Albanian unrest behind the row
The controversy is rooted in a real crisis. Anti-government protests in Albania escalated into violent clashes in mid-October, with fires reported at the Education Ministry, bank branches, and offices at the Supreme Court in Tirana. Led in part by students, demonstrators are demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation over corruption allegations, education costs, and limited opportunities for young people, according to Outlook India. Protests also target a coastal resort project linked to Jared Kushner, son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, on a protected coastal landscape.
Rama, who won a fourth consecutive term in 2025, has rejected demands to resign and blamed "foreign hands" for the unrest. Police used tear gas, water cannon, and rubber bullets; authorities said 167 people were arrested and criminal proceedings were started against 388 individuals, while 272 people — including 169 police officers — were injured, per health ministry figures cited by Al Jazeera. The European Union has expressed concern and called for restraint. Reports have not established that the Supreme Court was destroyed or that parliament was seized by demonstrators.
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Hitman (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
The takeaway: Raut's post has turned foreign unrest into a domestic flashpoint: one camp sees a warning about corruption and protest rights, the other an endorsement of violence against constitutional institutions. With a contempt petition reportedly in play and even his own party split, the row will continue.
Sources
- Deccan Herald (PTI) — 'India should learn lesson from protests': Sanjay Raut's Albania arson post sparks row
- The Times of India — 'Deeply regrettable': Sanjay Raut's Albania arson post draws flak from party colleague, others
- Outlook India — Albania Protests Escalate As Fire Hits Supreme Court
- Al Jazeera — Fire engulfs Albania's Supreme Court as protests enter fifth day