5 detained for vandalising MP Shrikant Shinde’s office; Sena workers hit the road for Thackeray

On Saturday morning, around five persons arrived outside the office shouting slogans against the Shinde clan

Ulhasnagar/Navi Mumbai: The police has detained five persons for vandalising the office of Kalyan MP Shrikant Shinde, son of rebel Sena leader Eknath Shinde, at Gol Maidan locality in Ulhasnagar. This is the first such incident of vandalism in Thane since the Eknath Shinde-led rebel group caused the ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra.

MP Shrikant Shinde, the son of Eknath Shinde, addresses the supporters outside their residence, in Thane, Mumbai, on Saturday (Praful Gangurde/HT Photo)

On Saturday morning, around five persons arrived outside the office shouting slogans against the Shinde clan. They pelted stones on the photo of Shrikant Shinde.

“His office was vandalised by five people using wooden rods and stones. Apart from this no other instances of vandalism have been reported so far,” said Arun Ashan, a Shiv Sena leader from Ulhasnagar.

“The five persons involved in vandalism were immediately caught by our team and we are investigating the matter. Security has been beefed up in the area and across the city,” said an officer from Ulhasnagar police station.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena party workers protested in Navi Mumbai and Panvel in support of chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. Effigies were burnt and slogans were raised against Eknath Shinde and the rebel MLAs. In Nerul, former corporator and Shiv Sena deputy city chief, Satish Ramane, blackened Eknath Shinde’s face on a poster.

“CM has been facing major health issues yet he has worked hard for the state. Maharashtra cried when he left Varsha for Matoshree. These rebels want Uddhav Thackeray to join BJP today. These are the same people who wanted to resign when the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance was in power. This is a conspiracy by BJP and the planning was on for the past 6 months,” said Ramane.

In Kharghar, effigies of the rebel Sena MLAs were burnt, while posters were put up in Vashi in support of Thackeray.

Maval Shiv Sena MP Srirang Barne and former union minister Anant Geete along with Raigad Shiv Sena chief Baban Patil and Panvel chief Shirish Patil addressed party workers in Kharghar. Geete said, “We have to take an oath that rebels will not be forgiven. We will take action soon against the rebels.”

“This betrayal of trust when we have a chief minister of our party is shocking. It is our responsibility to strengthen Shiv Sena further,” said Barne.

Baban Patil a staunch Thackeray loyalist said, “We will throw Eknath Shinde out of the party. He has backstabbed our CM. Shiv Sainiks will not tolerate any insult to Matoshree which is revered by all. Eknath Shinde has been made by Shiv Sena.”