'Gang War In Maha Govt': Uddhav Asks PM Modi To Take Note Of 'Weakened' State BJP After Sena Leader Shot At

Uddhav Thackeray also urged PM Narendra Modi to take note that the state BJP unit has weakened due to the practice of poaching leaders from other parties.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray

Source : PTI

New Delhi: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said that a “gang war” has erupted within the Maharashtra ruling alliance, attributing the alleged turmoil to the state BJP unit's "weakened" strength as a result of inducting leaders from other parties, news agency PTI reported.

Thackeray's comments came close in the heels of an incident when an MLA from the ruling BJP allegedly fired upon a local Shiv Sena leader of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's camp, at a Thane district police station in the Ulhasnagar area.

The arrested BJP MLA, Ganpat Gaikwad (56), is currently in custody, while the Shiv Sena's Kalyan unit chief, Mahesh Gaikwad (40), the victim of the attack, remains in critical condition.

Addressing a rally in Sawantwadi, Sindhudurg district, Thackeray recalled the 1990s when the previous Shiv Sena-BJP government purportedly quelled underworld gangs in Mumbai.

Contrasting that era with the present, Thackeray, as quoted by PTI, said, “Now, in the current government, a gang war has broken out. The third gang is deeply involved in a Rs 70,000 crore irrigation scam and hence has no time to raise its head." He did not name any ally in the Eknath Shinde-led administration.

Uddhav Thackeray also urged PM Modi to take note that the state BJP unit has weakened due to the practice of poaching leaders from other parties. He asserted that his dissent was not directed at any individual but against falsehoods and authoritarianism.

He also advocated for a government by the I.N.D.I.A bloc, an alliance of various Opposition parties, emphasising the need for inclusivity.

He predicted dire consequences if the saffron party secured victory in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

“If the BJP wins again in the Lok Sabha polls (due in a few months), there will be no Republic Day next year," PTI quoted Thackeray as saying.