Sanjay Raut and Priyanka Chaturvedi publicly differed over whether India should learn from Albania's student-led protests. Their exchange exposed contrasting views within Shiv Sena (UBT) on violent unrest and democratic institutions.
Sena UBT leaders Sanjay Raut and Priyanka Chaturvedi clashed over the Albania unrest.
A war of words has erupted between Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Sanjay Raut and Priyanka Chaturvedi over the ongoing student-led protests in Albania. While Raut suggested that India should learn a lesson from the unrest, his party colleague rejected any comparison with violent demonstrations that target democratic institutions.
Raut, in a post on X, claimed that people in Albania had set fire to the Supreme Court because it was "helping corrupt prime ministers."
"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," he added.
Chaturvedi, however, pushed back against the remark, saying India did not need to learn from any other country and warning against people taking the law into their own hands or destabilising institutions.
“India does not need to learn from any other country,” she told news agency ANI, describing Albania as a small nation that had endured years under a communist dictatorship.
#WATCH | Delhi | On Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut's tweet regarding unrest in Albania, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi says, "India does not need to learn from any other country... Albania is a small nation that endured years under a communist dictatorship; the idea that people should take the law into their own hands, disrupt order, and destabilize institutions, whether it be the Supreme Court or the Parliament, is entirely unacceptable... those who suggest that we should draw inspiration from the protests in Bangladesh to pursue a regime change: this is deeply regrettable, as those protests were not merely led by students; they were eventually co-opted by an Islamist movement, which led to attacks on minorities, including Hindu minorities. Such violent regime change has no place in any democracy, and we should not look to examples like Albania, Paris, or other such instances for guidance..."— ANI (@ANI) October 20, 2026
She said disrupting institutions such as the Supreme Court and Parliament was “entirely unacceptable."
Chaturvedi also criticised those advocating lessons from protests in Bangladesh to pursue regime change, adding that the demonstrations were eventually co-opted by an Islamist movement and led to attacks on minorities, including Hindus.
“Such violent regime change has no place in any democracy, and we should not look to examples like Albania, Paris, or other such instances for guidance,” she said.
The exchange comes amid escalating anti-government demonstrations in Albania, where protesters have demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama.
The unrest has seen government buildings targeted and fires set at several locations, including part of the Supreme Court.
The student-led protests have been fuelled by anger over perceived government corruption, unemployment and poor education standards.
Police said 388 people had been charged with criminal offences during the demonstrations, while scores of police officers and protesters have been injured.
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