Aaditya Thackeray alleges CM Eknath Shinde leading 'gang war' in Maharashtra

Pic: PTI File

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday said that a "gang war" is underway in Maharashtra and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is leading it. He was speaking in reference to the Thane firing incident involving a BJP MLA and a Shiv Sena leader.

BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad representing Kalyan East fired at and injured Mahesh Gaikwad of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena inside Hill Line police station in Ulhasnagar late Friday night. Before being arrested, the Kalyan East MLA accused Shinde of encouraging criminalisation in the state, newswire PTI reported.

"Ganpat Gaikwad was allegedly trying to grab land, which local women opposed. He shot at Mahesh Gaikwad who was supporting these women. Ganpat Gaikwad has himself said CM Shinde made him a criminal," Thackeray claimed.

"There is a gang war going on in Maharashtra and CM Shinde is the leader of it. Shinde carries the tag of betrayer and he must deep clean it (a jibe at the deep cleaning drive of the state government in urban areas including Mumbai)," the Worli MLA said.

Speaking on other issues, Thackeray said he would oppose any plan to utilise Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation funds to build an underground parking facility at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse, where the civic body wants to create a park.

"I will oppose usage of BMC funds for the underground parking space. Racecourse members are wealthy, they can fund the parking facility. Anyway a parking lot is coming up as part of the coastal road so why is a second one needed," he claimed.

Thackeray also claimed the coastal road was not complete and just 10 kilometres of the stretch had been built.

"But Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate it (first phase from Worli to Marine Drive) on February 19. Is it snatch credit from us as we had envisaged the project and followed up on it," Thackeray asked.

"The coastal road should have been completed in December itself, but the work is still on a slow track. BMC commissioner I S Chahal wants to become chief secretary so is giving wrong information about the project," he alleged.

Meanwhile, police has booked Maharashtra BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad in a Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act case on Sunday on the complaint of a villager, a police official said on Sunday.

BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad had pumped six bullets into Kalyan Shiv Sena leader Mahesh Gaikwad and also injured the latter's associate Rahul Patil late Friday night inside the cabin of the Hill Line police station's senior inspector in Ulhasnagar in Thane district. The three-time Kalyan East MLA has been charged with attempt to murder and other offences in the case.

"On the complaint of a resident of Dwarli village on Saturday, Ganpat Gaikwad and seven others have been charged under sections of the Indian Penal Code and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act," a Hill Line police station official said.

As per the complainant, she was subjected to caste-based abuse by Ganpat Gaikwad and the others on January 31. "A probe into the complaint of the woman, who is a land owner, is underway," the station house officer of Hill Line police station said. (With inputs from PTI)