New Delhi: A heated exchange broke out between the rival Shiv Sena factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at the party's office at Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters in south Mumbai on Wednesday evening, news agency PTI reported.
According to the report, tensions prevailed for an hour till the police intervened.
The scuffle broke out after North Central Mumbai MP Rahul Shewale, former standing committee chief Yashwant Jadhav and former corporator Sheetal Mhatre, all belonging to Shinde-led Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena, entered the party office around 5 pm.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction's former corporators, including Ashish Chemburkar and Sachin Padwal, objected to their presence, that led to the scuffle, PTI reported.
As per the report, tension prevailed for over an hour as workers from the rival factions hurled slogans before the police stepped in and removed everyone from the premise.
Both the groups alleged that there was no attempt by any side to stake claim to the party office, contrary to some reports.
Shewale told PTI that they had not gone to stake any claim over the party office, but were in the BMC building to meet the municipal commissioner.
"When we visited the office, we found a sticker covering the name of Yashvant Jadhav on the name plate. Because of his efforts, this office was set up. So we removed the sticker and garlanded the bust of Shiva Maharaj which is inside," Shewale said.
Speaking in Nagpur, Maharashtra minister and Shinde faction leader Deepak Kesarkar said that the office belongs to Shiv Sena, and their faction was the authentic Shiv Sena as their claim has been accepted by the Maharashtra Assembly as well.
"They (Thackeray faction) should realize that they have already lost their majority everywhere... They should accept that they have given up the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray and Hindutva and they are in minority," Kesarkar added.