Maharashtra crisis: Mumbai police on high alert; Section 144 imposed in Thane

Mumbai Police has issued a high alert and has asked all police stations to ensure security at all political offices in the city, amid the continuing political crisis in Maharashtra.

Officer-level police personnel have been directed to visit every political office to ensure the safety of all politicians. Section 144 of CrPC has also been imposed in Thane, Eknath Shinde's core area. This means a gathering of four or more people is prohibited until further orders.

This move comes after Shiv Sena workers ransacked the office of rebel party MLA Tanaji Sawant in Pune on Saturday, amid intensifying political turmoil in the state.

Sawant is one of the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs of the Eknath Shinde faction and is currently camping in Guwahati, Assam.

The Shiv Sena workers allegedly vandalised Sawant’s office in Balaji area of Katraj in Pune

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has called a meeting of the party’s national executive committee today at 1pm.

The meeting will be held in Shiv Sena Bhavan which the Chief Minister will join virtually.

Earlier on Friday, Thackeray convened a meeting of the district chiefs virtually wherein he said that the rebel MLAs who are camping in Guwahati want to “break the party”.

“I have said it earlier also that I don’t have anything to do with power. The people who used to say that they would rather die than leave Shiv Sena have fled today,” the Shiv Sena chief said during his virtual address at the meeting.

Thackeray said that he had “suspected” the rebellion and revealed that Eknath Shinde who turned rebel, had raised the issue in front of him of the MLAs willing to go with the BJP. However, he said that such a question “does not even arise”.

“The rebel MLAs want to break the party. I had never thought in dreams that I would become the chief minister. I have left Varsha Bungalow but not the will to fight,” he added.

Asking the leaders of his party to tell him if he is “useless and incapable” to run the party, he said he will separate himself from the party.

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Talking about going back with the BJP, the Shiv Sena chief said, “BJP, that defamed our party, my family, is the one you are talking about going with. Such a question doesn’t even arise. If MLAs want to go there they can, all of them can. I won’t. If someone wants to go - be it an MLA or someone else - come and tell us and then go.”

Notably, the Chief Minister had vacated the official residence of the CM on Wednesday night and moved to his family residence ‘Matoshree’ along with his family.

Targeting Shinde, Thackeray said that he did everything for the rebel leader and yet a lot of allegations are levelled against him.

“I did everything for Eknath Shinde. I gave him the department which I held. His own son is an MP and comments are being made regarding my son. A lot of allegations are levelled against me,” he said.

“If they have courage, they should go among people without taking Balasaheb and Shiv Sena’s names,” he added.

Thackeray, who underwent a cervical spine surgery last year, said, “I had pain in my neck and head, I was not able to work properly, I could not open my eyes but I did not care about it. Shivaji Maharaj was defeated but people were always with him.”

Ajit Pawar said earlier said that the NCP stands with the Chief Minister and will try to “keep the government stable”.

Meanwhile, the Eknath Shinde faction on Friday gave notice of a no-confidence motion against Deputy Speaker Narhari Jhirwal, after the Uddhav Thackeray faction submitted a plea before the deputy speaker to disqualify the rebel MLAs.

Earlier on Thursday night, Shiv Sena had filed a petition before the Deputy Speaker of the state assembly seeking the cancellation of membership of 12 rebel MLAs including Eknath Shinde for “not attending” the legislative party meeting held on Wednesday.

• India