Mumbai: Senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday questioned whether former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee died on August 16 or if his death was announced that day to ensure Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech was not disrupted.

Raut, a Rajya Sabha member who is also editor of the Sena mouthpiece `Saamana', gave no explanation or reason for questioning the day of Vajpayee's death that was announced by India's premier hospital, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, which also gave his time of death on August 16. 

"Rather than our people, our rulers should first understand what is 'swarajya' (self-rule). Vajpayee died on August 16, but from 12-13 August, his condition was deteriorating. To avoid national mourning and lowering of flag to half-mast on Independence Day, and also (as) Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to make his elaborate speech from the Red Fort, Vajpayee left this world on August 16 (or his death was announced)," Raut said.

The article in Marathi is titled "What is Swarajya?". Though Shiv Sena is an alliance partner of the BJP at the Centre as well as in Maharashtra, it has been taking swipes at the saffron party and Modi. Raut, in the article, said National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah shouted "Bharat Mata Ki Jai"and "Jai Hind" at a condolence meeting for Vajpayee, and for this reason he was manhandled in Srinagar.