Rebel Shiv Sena MLA Deepak Kesarkar on Saturday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) isn't behind their rebellion and added that the legislators who are camping in Guwahati's Radisson Blu will be paying their own hotel expenses.
"No party is paying for our expenses (of hotel accommodation), our leader Eknath Shinde called us and we came and stayed here (Guwahati hotel); will pay the expenses. BJP isn't behind all of this," said Kesarkar.
He added that the rebel MLAs will go out to court if their faction "Shiv Sena Balasaheb" isn't given recognition.
"Recognition should be given to our faction, if it isn't given, we'll go to court & prove our existence & numbers. We've numbers, but we respect CM Uddhav Thackeray, we won't speak against him. We must follow the path on which we fought Assembly elections," said Kesarkar.
The rebel Sena MLA asserted that the faction led by Eknath Shinde "is still in Shiv Sena" and that they "are not merging with any other party".
"We are still in Shiv Sena, there's misunderstanding that we've left the party. We've just separated our faction. We've 2-3rd majority to follow the path we wanted. Our new leader chosen by majority. They didn't have more than 16-17 MLAs," Kesarkar said. "There's no need to merge, our faction will be given different recognition and we aren't merging with any other party," he added.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that the rebel faction can take their own decisions but no one should use Balasaheb Thackeray's name.
Addressing party leaders during the national executive committee meeting in the Shiv Sena Bhawan, Thackeray said, "Some people are asking me to say something but I've already said that they(rebel MLAs) can do whatever they want to do, I won't interfere in their matters. They can take their own decision, but no one should use Balasaheb Thackeray's name."
Earlier today, Shinde today wrote to Thackeray over the alleged 'malicious' withdrawal of security of family members of the 38 MLAs camping with him in a Guwahati hotel.
In his letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and State Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil, Shinde claimed that the security provided to the MLAs at their residence as well as to their family members as per the protocol has been illegally and unlawfully withdrawn, as an act of revenge.
However, Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil refuted Shinde's claim of withdrawal of security."Neither the Chief Minister nor the Home Department has ordered the withdrawal of security of any MLA. The allegations being levelled through Twitter are false and completely baseless.No MLA's security has been withdrawn. Keeping in view the prevailing situation, the Home Department has decided to provide security at the residence of MLAs to keep their families safe," said Patil.
