Rebel Shiv Sena leaders target Uddhav, Aaditya | Mumbai news - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Rebel Shiv Sena leaders target Uddhav, Aaditya

By, Mumbai
Jul 23, 2022 12:13 AM IST

The Shiv Sena leaders led by chief minister Eknath Shinde have hardened their stance towards the first family of the party and have openly taken on them for the first time since their rebellion last month

The Shiv Sena leaders led by chief minister Eknath Shinde have hardened their stance towards the first family of the party and have openly taken on them for the first time since their rebellion last month.

Eknath Shinde faction’s spokesperson Deepak Kesarkar (C) addresses a press conference on Friday. Anshuman Poyrekar/ HT Photo
Eknath Shinde faction’s spokesperson Deepak Kesarkar (C) addresses a press conference on Friday. Anshuman Poyrekar/ HT Photo

After Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray launched his statewide tour, rebel MLA Suhas Kande threatened to confront him with thousands of his workers in Nashik, but was stopped by police.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Kande alleged that Sena president and former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray had prevented Z category security from being given to Shinde even though he was on the radar of Naxal groups.

The Shinde faction’s spokesperson Deepak Kesarkar asked Aaditya to restrain his language.

Aaditya called the party rebels “traitors”. Speaking in Manmad, he said, “Uddhav saheb’s work was being praised across the country. Our work was getting accolades from across the world.”

Accusing party rebels of “backstabbing”, Aaditya said he would not “reply to traitors”. “These traitors must first reveal why they indulged in treachery.”

On Friday, Aaditya held a rally at Nashik’s Manmad, which comes under the Nandgaon constituency represented by Kande, as part of his statewide ‘Shiv Samvad yatra’.

Kande said he wanted to meet Aaditya with his workers. “I will meet him, or else I will hold a rasta roko. I will meet him with due respect… as he is the descendant of Balasaheb (late Sena chief Bal Thackeray),” he said, while questioning the Thackeray scion if he had contributed even “1%” to the development of Manmad from the funds of the tourism department when he was a minister in the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government.

Kande alleged that the home department had decided to provide Z plus security to Shinde when he was the guardian minister of Gadchiroli district. However, Uddhav called Shambhuraj Desai, who was the then minister of state for home, and asked him to not do so, he said.

“One Marathi manoos, who was fighting the Naxals, was not given security though he had a threat to his life. But those who were against Hindutva were given Z and Z plus security,” he claimed.

Desai, who is now part of the Shinde camp, too claimed that Uddhav had called him in the morning on a day when the issue of providing additional security to Shinde was to be taken up for a discussion.

However, Satej (Bunty) Patil, who was also the minister of state for home in the Thackeray regime, said providing security was not a political decision. “The chief minister and the home minister do not decide this. There is a committee under the chief secretary that does an analysis and takes a call on providing security,” Patil said, adding that Shinde had been provided extra police personnel as the guardian minister of Gadchiroli.

Kesarkar, who is the spokesperson of the Shinde group, too attacked Aaditya. “Today, you have launched a yatra because you feel that party workers are drifting away. Did anyone meet these workers earlier?” he asked.

“He is young. He must take Uddhav saheb’s [Uddhav Thackeray] example on how to speak and conduct himself… just because we are not speaking out does not mean we have no issues to raise,” Kesarkar said, adding that Shinde and the others were also planning to begin a statewide tour soon.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On