Mumbai: The bitter fight between the Shiv Sena-BJP ruling coalition and the Shiv Sena (UBT) intensified further on Thursday with Sanjay Raut, a confidant of Uddhav Thackeray, launching a frontal attack on the state government.
Raut alleged that the government was being run like the underworld which dominated Mumbai some years ago. Raut told newspersons that criminals and corrupt persons are being protected by the present dispensation.
Roshni Shinde assault
"Chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis are running their own gangs," he alleged. The immediate provocation for the onslaught was the incident at Thane, which is a bastion of Shinde, where a Shiv Sena (UBT) activist Roshni Shinde was beaten up allegedly by supporters of the CM. On Wednesday Aaditya Thackeray of the SS (UBT) led a huge protest at Thane on the Roshni Shinde attack issue.
Asked about the Supreme Court's rejection of the petition of 14 political parties regarding the alleged misuse of central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate etc against the opposition, Raut said the verdict has made only the BJP happy. He wanted to know why no action was being taken by the ED and other agencies against corrupt persons who have got into the "BJP washing machine,"? He said once a politician joined the BJP, all enquiries against him were put on hold. Two days ago Uddhav Thackeray had dubbed Fadnavis as a ``worthless" persons. On Wednesday, Union minister Narayan Rane of the BJP warned Uddhav Thackeray of dire consequences if he made such remarks against the deputy chief minister. Fadnavis is being repeatedly targeted by the opposition on law and order issues, since he holds the home portfolio.
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