Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray’s rally at Thane, where he was expected to take on chief minister Eknath Shinde on his home turf, was marred by the protests by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena activists. At one point, the MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) supporters had come face to face. However, the police swung into action and detained several people from both sides.
The incident took place a day after Shiv Sena (UBT) workers tried to stop Raj Thackeray’s convoy in Beed district. The Shiv Sena (UBT) activists threw betel nuts and tomatoes on Raj Thackeray’s convoy.
In response to the Beed incident, the MNS workers tried to stop Uddhav’s convoy enroute to Thane. Some of them threw bangles and cow dung on the vehicles in the convoy. According to reports, a glass of one of the cars was also damaged.
When Uddhav reached the auditorium, where he addressed his party workers, the MNS as well as Shinde-led Shiv Sena activists raised slogans against him and tried to forcefully enter the venue. At this point, Uddhav supporters came out to confront them. However, the police quickly interfered and kept the workers from all sides away from each other. They also detained several supporters of all three parties.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut admitted that those who tried to Raj's convoy in Beed were his party's members, but he denied that they were given any instructions by the party.
The MNS protesters in Thane also claimed that they did not receive any order from their party and they did not need any orders. “We cannot forgive the attack on Raj Saheb in Beed,” one of the protestors said.
Later addressing his party workers in the Thane auditorium, Uddhav asked whether they want Maharashtra’s capital in Mumbai or Ahmedabad in Gujarat. “They (BJP) survived by a whisker in the Lok Sabha election. We have managed to keep them under a tight leash. But now the time has come to bury them completely. We are fighting against Maharashtra haters. They are trying to bankrupt Maharashtra,” he said.
Uddhav also accused CM Shinde of working for contractors and making false promises. Indicating that he is going to target Mr. Shinde and his “contractor friends” after returnin to power in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief said, “Wait for three months. We are going to expose their scams. They think that I am not aware of their scams. But I am watching them closely. Their friend circle is going to get exposed.”
Earlier in the day, a group of Muslim men held protests outside Uddhav’s residence ‘Matoshree’. They claimed that Shiv Sena (UBT) won nine Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra because of the support of the Muslim community. But when the Narendra Modi government tabled the Waqf (Amendment) bill in the Parliament, the Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs did not oppose it and instead staged a walkout.
