Thane, April 4: Shiv Sena (UBT) President and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray demanded the resignation of Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis – who holds the home department – and suspension or transfer of Thane Commissioner of Police Jai Jeet Singh, here on Tuesday.
Thackeray, along with his wife Rashmi and son Aditya Thackeray, rushed to Thane where a party activist Roshani Shinde-Pawar was attacked allegedly by workers of the rival Shiv Sena of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, in his hometown.
“Recently, the Supreme Court called the Maharashtra government ‘impotent’, today’s incident is proving it… Women are being brutally kicked and assaulted and no action is taken… What can be expected from such an ‘impotent’ CM,” said a fuming Thackeray.
The Thackeray family along with Leader of Opposition (Council) Ambadas Danve first visited the Shinde-Pawar, then went to the Police Commissionerate to check on the status of the victim’s complaint.
“When we came here, the Police Commissioner was not here… We were told that our activist (Shinde-Pawar) submitted a written complaint to the police, along with the names of the attackers, and there are videos of the incident, but so far the FIR has not been registered… It has been regularly happening that when our people are attacked, the police don’t take action,” said Thackeray.
Referring to the incident, the ex-CM said that once considered a ‘cultural thana’ (cultural hub), Thane is now becoming a ‘goonda thane’ (goon centre), where politicians and journalists are being threatened or assaulted, and now even ‘female goons’ are indulging in ‘goondagiri’.
Under such circumstances, Thackeray said that “we have a ‘coward’ (Fattus) home minister (Fadnavis), who has lost the right to continue and must resign”.
“When someone spies in his home he appoints a SIT, but when goons assault a woman activist, no action… If you cannot handle the work, then quit, Even the CoP must be suspended or transferred…” demanded Thackeray.
A massive political brawl erupted after a Sena (UBT) activist was attacked late on Monday evening allegedly by some four-five dozen women and some men activists of the rival Shiv Sena in the Kasarvadavali area of Thane, Shinde’s hometown.
She was rushed to a private hospital by her colleagues and is presently in the ICU where her condition is described as stable with some minor internal organ injuries.
Condemning the incident, senior Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare said that the victim (Shinde-Pawar) is seven-months pregnant and yet she was pounced upon, pulled, kicked and punched allegedly by the rival Shiv Sena.
“This has been regularly happening all over the state… There is another party worker Girish Kolhe who also hammered in the CM’s home town, and another woman activist beaten up in Kalyan town,” said Andhare.
“When we (the Opposition) go to lodge police complaints, we are not entertained, but culprits supporting the ruling alliance are given priority in lodging complaints against us and immediate action is taken,” Andhare said.
Shinde-Patil made a social media post allegedly taking a potshot at the CM which did not go down well with his supporters, resulting in the attack.
