Accusing the Uddhav Thackeray camp of rousing emotions of the Shiv Sena cadre against the Eknath Shinde faction, MLA Deepak Kesarkar, spokesperson of the Shinde group, warned that such actions would lead to a deteriorating law and order situation in Maharashtra.
Alluding to Mr. Thackeray, his son and former Minister Aaditya Thackeray, and Sena MP Sanjay Raut for pitting the Shiv Sainik rank and file against the Shinde faction that is now in power, Mr. Kesarkar, without directly naming anybody, exhorted the Sena chief to stop causing needless tension in a State which needed peace.
“Today, you [Aaditya Thackeray] are rousing Shiv Sainiks against our [Shinde camp] MLAs with your state-wide rallies… But how many Shiv Sainiks did you meet in your office when you were in power? Moreover, if, as you’ll [Uddhav camp] claim that Uddhav Thackeray had indeed promised to make Eknath Shinde the CM, then now, you ought to desist from your verbal slanging matches branding Mr. Shinde as a ‘traitor’ as the people will be happy that Mr. Shinde has indeed become Chief Minister,” said Mr. Kesarkar, speaking in Mumbai on Monday.
Demonstration by irate Shiv Sainiks
Mr. Kesarkar was specifically referring to a demonstration that was carried out on Monday by irate Shiv Sainiks from the Uddhav camp near the house of Dhairyasheel Mane, the rebel MP from Hatkanangale (in Kolhapur district), who joined hands with Mr. Shinde.
Police protection was beefed up near Mr. Mane’s house, with a robust security shield blocking the path of Sainiks loyal to Uddhav Thackeray to the MP’s house.
The MLA from the Konkan region Mr. Kesarkar said it was highly improper for the Thackeray family to keep repeating the ‘stab in the back’ accusation when they had forsaken Bal Thackeray’s Hindutva ideals by allying with Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress despite the MLAs urging Uddhav Thackeray to forego the alliance with the two parties.
“If you [Uddhav Thackeray] did indeed have a conversation with PM Modi [last year] where you expressed your desire for an alliance [with the BJP], then why didn’t you see it through?” questioned Mr. Kesarkar.
Stop politicking, Uddhav camp urged
While Mr. Thackeray was now giving audiences to the party cadre and inaugurating party branches and Aaditya was touring the State to connect with ordinary Shiv Sainiks, the MLA said that had they done all of this before, then the need for a rebellion would not have arisen.
“Earlier, the Yuva Sena chief was nowhere to be seen. Today, he [Aaditya Thackeray] is rousing Shiv Sainiks against the MLAs and MPs, who have sided with Mr. Shinde…there is a limit to politicking. I humbly urge him to stop,” Mr. Kesarkar said.
Meanwhile, despite the efforts of the Thackeray camp to stop the exodus of leaders and party bearers from defecting to the Shinde camp, former Minister and MLA from Jalna, Arjun Khotkar, who until recently swore that he would remain an Uddhav loyalist, is believed to be en route to joining the rebel camp.
