Accusing Maharashtra’s ruling Aghadi coalition of orchestrating ‘attacks’ on state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Kirit Somaiya and Mohit Kamboj, state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil warned that his party workers, too, ‘will not remain silent’.
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“The attack on Kirit Somaiya was not just an attempt to threaten him but to kill him. It happened in the police station premises. Now, the MVA government is propagating violence in front of the police. Do you want to create Kerala or Bengal-like situation in Maharashtra,” Patil said, according to news agency ANI.
Somaiya, who has had multiple run-ins with leaders of the Aghadi government, especially those from the Shiv Sena, alleged Saturday night that his car was pelted with stones by ‘Shivsena Gundas’. The former parliamentarian from the Mumbai North-East seat was on his way to Khar police station to meet independent MP Navneet Rana, and her husband, independent MLA Ravi Rana, who were arrested over allegations of creating enmity between different areas, after day-long drama.
{{/usCountry}}Somaiya, who has had multiple run-ins with leaders of the Aghadi government, especially those from the Shiv Sena, alleged Saturday night that his car was pelted with stones by ‘Shivsena Gundas’. The former parliamentarian from the Mumbai North-East seat was on his way to Khar police station to meet independent MP Navneet Rana, and her husband, independent MLA Ravi Rana, who were arrested over allegations of creating enmity between different areas, after day-long drama.
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Somaiya uploaded a clip on Twitter which shows blood oozing out from an injury near his chin.
Meanwhile, Chandrakant Patil further said, “Mohit Kamboj was also attacked a day before. If the state administration, with the help of the police, creates a law-and-order situation, then the BJP would retaliate in the same way. Our workers won’t remain silent.”
On April 22, Kamboj alleged that he was attacked by a mob. He claimed that the attack took place because he frequently ‘exposures’ the state government.
The BJP and Shiv Sena are former allies who went their separate ways in late 2019. The Sena then joined hands with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which currently governs Maharashtra. Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray is the chief minister of the state.
The MVA has repeatedly accused the BJP of trying to topple its government, a charge which the latter has always refuted