File photos of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Mr. Thackeray demanded Mr. Fadnavis’s resignation after a worker from the Thackeray-led faction’s women’s wing was beaten by Shinde camp loyalists on April 3 night.
| Photo Credit: PTI
After a woman working for the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) was allegedly assaulted by activists from the rival Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in Thane, Mr. Thackeray lashed out at Maharashtra Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis, calling him “useless” and demanding his resignation.
Roshni Shinde, the worker from the Thackeray-led faction’s women’s wing, was admitted to a hospital in Thane after reportedly being beaten by Shinde camp loyalists on Monday night following a heated altercation over a Facebook post.
Learning of the assault, Mr. Thackeray visited Ms. Shinde, accompanied by his wife Rashmi Thackeray and son Aaditya Thackeray. The Sena (UBT) leader also went to meet the Thane police commissioner to enquire about the assault but the commissioner was not present.
‘State of lawlessness’
Later, speaking to reporters, the former Maharashtra CM launched into a scathing indictment of what he called the “state of lawlessness” pervading the State, while categorically blaming Mr. Fadnavis’ ineffectuality in maintaining law and order.
“Such a useless Home Minister has no right to occupy the post of Home Minister. When it comes to perceived threats to their own homes, they are prompt to set up SITs and people are picked up from outside the State. The State is being governed by goons and the Shinde government should perhaps have a special ‘Goonda Minister’,” Mr. Thackeray said.
NCP backs Thackeray
The Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) — Mr. Thackeray’s ally within the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance — backed him up in demanding Mr. Fadnavis’ resignation.
NCP State president Jayant Patil said that Mr. Fadnavis’ inefficacy was such that his writ did not even extend to Thane district. “The boss of Thane district remains CM Eknath Shinde… Mr. Fadnavis cannot control events there despite being Home Minister of the State,” Mr. Patil said.
Meanwhile, issuing a strong riposte to Mr. Thackeray, Mr. Fadnavis said that the former was such a weak CM when he helmed the erstwhile MVA government that it was not worth commenting on his remarks.
‘Frustrated’
“I do not give any importance to a person who jettisons his ideology for the sake of power… He [Mr. Thackeray] was such a weak CM that he could not even demand resignations of two of his Cabinet Ministers [Anil Deshmukh and Nawab Malik] who had been arrested, for fear of losing the Chief Minister’s post… For two and a half years of the MVA government’s tenure, he did not step out of his house and go to the people. Who is he to comment on our government?” Mr. Fadnavis said.
The BJP leader further alleged that a police extortion racket had unraveled during Mr. Thackeray’s tenure as CM, accusing the Sena (UBT) chief of “sheltering” disgraced policeman Sachin Vaze.
“He [Mr. Thackeray] had sheltered a blackmailer like Sachin Vaze. After seeing his administration for two and a half years, the whole of Maharashtra knows who was the ‘useless’ person. A person who was sitting at home during his tenure as CM dare not speak to us. If we start talking, then Uddhav Thackeray will be left speechless. The truth is that he is frustrated,” Mr. Fadnavis said.
