Is Eknath Shinde faction turning Maharashtra into 'gundaraj', asks NCP

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde. File Pic

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Thursday accused the legislators belonging to the Shiv Sena faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde of taking the law into their hands, and wondered if the ruling camp was trying to turn the state into a "gundaraj" (rule of goons).

The Sharad Pawar-led party also alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which shares power with the Shinde faction in the state, was silent on the "wrongdoings" of the legislators of its ruling partner.

In a statement, NCP spokesman Clyde Crasto said that since the Eknath Shinde-led group formed the government in Maharashtra by joining hands with the BJP, there have been instances of its legislators taking the law into their own hands and assaulting people or making derogatory statements without the fear of the law or judiciary.

"Is the Eknath Shinde group trying to turn Maharashtra into a 'gundaraj'?" Crasto asked.

Also Read: Sharad Pawar plans to meet PM Modi, Amit Shah over 'misuse of power' by investigating agencies

He claimed that Shinde faction minister Dada Bhuse and MLA Santosh Bangar were seen on videos assaulting individuals, while another minister Abdul Sattar was seen and heard using derogatory language against a woman Parliamentarian. MLAs are heard asking their cadre to use violence against their opponents, said the NCP leader.

He also talked about the Shinde group corporators' alleged attempt to forcibly take over the Shiv Sena office at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters in Mumbai on Wednesday.

"All these people are public representatives and therefore, instead of setting an example for other citizens and serving them, they are taking the law into their own hands. Just like every citizen of our country, they too must follow the law and respect the judiciary. But the Shinde group is showing 'dadagiri' and trying to throw their weight around," he said.

It is surprising that the BJP, which is the Shinde faction's ally, has stayed silent and turned a blind eye to their wrongdoings, Crasto added.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.