Mumbai, March 23 Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Monday targeted the rival Shiv Sena over the "misconduct" of minister Shamburaj Desai during the election of Satara Zilla Parishad president last week and said the incident has shown the Eknath Shinde-led party its place in the Maharashtra government.
Those in the Shinde group are a bunch of cowards, who go quiet when they are shown files, Thackeray told reporters in the Vidhan Bhavan premises.
They will come around due to fear of central probe agencies, the Worli MLA claimed.
During the Satara Zilla Parishad (ZP) president poll on Friday, BJP's Priya Shinde was elected to the post, trumping the Shiv Sena-NCP combine's candidate despite the latter having the majority. The BJP narrowly surpassed the Sena-NCP alliance's tally to win the top post. The police allegedly took away some Zilla Parishad members before the voting.
On Desai's charge that democracy was murdered during the Satara ZP president's polls, Thackeray said the reaction is laughable.
"As you sow, so shall you reap, Jaisi karni, waisi bharni," Thackeray retorted.
"The incident has shown the place of Shiv Sena ministers in the government," the former Maharashtra minister said.
On legislative council Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe's direction to the government to suspend Superintendent of Police Tushar Doshi over the ruckus during the Zilla Parishad president election last week, Thackeray said an answer is expected from council Chairman Ram Shinde whether the suspension was right.
Shiv Sena minister Shamburaj Desai, NCP's Makarand Patil and other members of the two parties demanded the SP's suspension. Desai and Patil alleged that the local police manhandled them during the polls to elect the Zilla Parishad president on Friday.
Thackeray also demanded action against those seen in photographs related to self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, who has been arrested for allegedly raping a woman repeatedly over the past three years. Thackeray alleged some individuals were called by Shinde to a hotel and urged these persons to come forward.
He further said the prime minister and the chief minister should speak on issues affecting the state and the country, including about agreements and their consequences.
Referring to the economic situation, Thackeray said people could face hardships similar to the COVID-19 period, questioning whether citizens would again have to depend on relief funds.
"Can the country afford the ongoing slide of the rupee," he questioned.