BJP man seeks to join Shiv Sena, gets police notice

Mumbai: Any Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member considering joining any other political party better be ready to receive a notice from the police, like the one received by an ex-BJP leader who joined Shiv Sena on Thursday. Irfan A.S. Pindhara, a BJP leader in Bandra, was to join the Sena on Thursday, but a notice was served to him on Wednesday.

Mr Pindhara and other Sena leaders claim that this was a political move to dissuade him and his followers from going ahead with their plan of leaving the BJP. However, the BJP maintains that it had no hand in this and the police should have issued the notice in order to maintain law and order.

Pandit Thackeray, the senior police inspector of Bandra police station, has signed the notice issued by Bandra police station, a copy of which is available with The Asian Age.

The notice reads, “We have realised that you are a BJP post holder and along with your workers have decided to join Shiv Sena on December 15. And for this you are going to gather near Sayba Hotel in Bandra (west) to proceed towards Matoshree in Bandra (east).”

The notice further reads, “For the same via this notice, you are being informed that you along with your party workers, while going towards Matoshree should see to it that none of your acts give rise to a law and order situation. Any violation during your entry in the party shall draw legal action. Hence, I, Pandit Thackeray, senior police inspector of Bandra police station, under section 149 inform you beforehand, that if by your acts, any law and order situation arises then you will be personally held responsible for it under section 188 (of the) Indian Penal Code and legal action against you will be initiated. This notice shall be used as evidence for the same, please take note.”

Rahul Kanal, a close associate of Sena scion Aaditya Thackeray, said, “This is nothing but an effort to scare people and misuse options. I got calls from the police twice asking us about the same on Thursday. People want to join the Sena and some people aren’t happy with it.”

Mr Pindhara claimed he was heading the traders association of BJP and had no answers for the people on the demonetisation move and hence left the party to join Shiv Sena. “This letter is nothing but a way to stop people,” Mr Pindhara said.

However, BJP Mumbai spokesperson Niranjan Shetty said, “Why would the BJP do such small things? It must be the police that took this step keeping in mind the law and order situation. We have nothing to do with the notice.”

Repeated attempts to contact Pandit Thackeray yielded no results.