Mumbai: Amid the ongoing tussle between Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, who is currently in Guwahati, along with several other party MLAs, the latter has alleged that the Maharashtra government has “illegally and unlawfully” withdrawn the security provided to them as per protocol and their families at their residences in Maharashtra.
In a tweet, Shinde said that “The security of Shiv Sena MLAs has been withdrawn by order of the Chief Minister and the Home Minister. The government is responsible for protecting them and their families”. The rebel Sena leader also attached a letter written to CM Thackeray, DGP Rajnish Seth, Home Minister Walse Patil and all Police Commissioners over the matter.
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गेल्या अडीच वर्षात मविआतील घटक पक्षांकडून अशाच पद्धतीने शिवसेनेचे खच्चीकरण करण्यात येत होते व आहे. pic.twitter.com/gUn4JEyIJq
— Eknath Shinde - एकनाथ शिंदे (@mieknathshinde) June 25, 2022 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">गेल्या अडीच वर्षात मविआतील घटक पक्षांकडून अशाच पद्धतीने शिवसेनेचे खच्चीकरण करण्यात येत होते व आहे. pic.twitter.com/gUn4JEyIJq
— Eknath Shinde - एकनाथ शिंदे (@mieknathshinde) June 25, 2022गेल्या अडीच वर्षात मविआतील घटक पक्षांकडून अशाच पद्धतीने शिवसेनेचे खच्चीकरण करण्यात येत होते व आहे. pic.twitter.com/gUn4JEyIJq
— Eknath Shinde - एकनाथ शिंदे (@mieknathshinde) June 25, 2022
The letter written on behalf of 15 MLAs, read that they have been duly elected as MLAs from their respective constituencies in the Assembly elections held in 2019. “We are currently sitting MLAs, however, the security provided to us at our residences as well as to our family members as per the protocol has been illegally and unlawfully withdrawn, as an act of revenge."
Read: No one can hijack Shiv Sena, asserts Sanjay Raut
Needless to mention, this sinister move is another attempt to break our resolve and arm twist us to give into the demands of the MVA government comprising NCP and INC goons,” the latter reads. “We state that the reason to give security is a threat and not which side of the politics we are. However, the threats due to which we were forced to leave the State of Maharashtra have been compounded by these actions on the part of MVA leaders,” it said.
The Sena leader said that “not only the security of our families and relatives have been compromised by removing the security personnel but also there is an ongoing agenda wherein various leaders of the MVA government are instigating the cadres of their respective parties to take up violence to further intimidate us which is evident from the media reports published on June 23 at various print and digital publications wherein Sanjay Raut threatened the petitioners and the other members by stating that he would make it difficult for the MLAs, who have left to return to Maharashtra and move around in the State of Maharashtra”.
They quoted Raut saying in the interview, “Let all the MLAs come to the floor of the House. We will see then. These MLAs who have left... they will find it difficult to return and move around in Maharashtra." “The impact of these statements was borne by two of our members as their offices were vandalised by the carders of Shiv Sena merely after hours of withdrawing the security for MLAs,” the Sena MLAs said.
Read: Uddhav to chair crucial meet today, sends notices to rebels
“It will not be out of place to mention that recently the same scenario had happened in State of Punjab also where security of several high profile persons were removed by the State government due to which most of the high profile people became target of gangsters/goons in the state and the withdrawal of security from MLAs is likely to create similar impact in state of Maharashtra as well”.
“We state and demand that the security, which we are entitled to under protocol, should be provided to our families with immediate effect. We further state that if any harm were to come to our family members, the Chief Minister and the leaders of MVA Government like Sharad Pawar, Sanjay Raut, Aditya Thackrey will be responsible for the same,” warned the MLAs.
The letter comes hours ahead of a national executive meet today at 1 pm to be chaired by CM Thackeray with the objective to pass a resolution that would repose trust in the Uddhav faction. The Shiv Sena has sent the names of four more rebel MLAs to the Maharashtra Assembly deputy speaker for initiating action of disqualification against them, a senior leader said. The party will also issue notices to 16 MLAs of the rebel faction and ask them to respond by Monday.
