Five members of Uddhav camp arrested, released on bail; FIR against Shinde faction MLA for reportedly firing in air
@the_news_21
Mumbai: The seething animosity between the rival Shiv Sena factions led by Sena president Uddhav Thackeray and current Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde finally erupted into an ugly street fight between the two camps in Mumbai’s Dadar area over the weekend. The area happens to be the stronghold of both the Sena factions.
The altercation took place on Saturday night near the New Prabhadevi in Dadar, reportedly over a controversial social media post on the day of the Ganesha visarjan on Friday.
According to sources, on Saturday midnight, after the visarjan, a Sena functionary from the Shinde camp named Santosh Talavane was allegedly attacked by a member of the Thackeray camp, Mahesh Sawant, along with several others. A video clip of the violent scuffle also showed that Shinde group MLA Sada Sarvankar was present during the altercation and tried to defend Talavane.
After complaints and counter-complaints lodged by functionaries of both Sena factions, the Dadar police arrested five members of the Uddhav Thackeray camp while lodging first information reports (FIRs) against more than 25 members on both sides including Sada Sarvankar. The Thackeray faction later alleged that Sarvankar, who was reportedly present during the free for all, fired in the air.
Cases were registered under various Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections including 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation). Another FIR under various sections including provisions of the Arms Act was registered against Sada Sarvankar, who is the Shinde faction MLA from Mahim assembly constituency.
The five Thackeray faction functionaries were later released on bail.
Irate Thackeray camp supporters pelted stones at Sada Sarvankar’s office, while Uddhav camp loyalist Lok Sabha MP from Mumbai South constituency, Arvind Sawant demanded CM Shinde’s resignation.
Sawant further contended, “After the Ganesh immersion, there was a heated exchange between the workers of both the factions. MLA Sada Sarvankar verbally abused our group and fired twice in full public view. When our workers went to Dadar police station to lodge a complaint, it was not initially accepted. Does it mean that the police are under pressure from the new government (Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government)?”
Sarvankar on the other hand categorically refuted the Thackeray camp’s allegations against him, insisting that he did not fire in the air and that this was “a ploy to defame” him as he had joined the rebel Shinde faction.
“I got a call on Saturday midnight that a functionary of mine, Santosh Talavane, was being attacked by 30-40 members (of the Thackeray camp) …I intervened and tried to control the mob,” remarked Sarvankar. He denied having used any firearm during the incident.
Kiran Pawaskar, spokesman of the Shinde group, rejected the allegations against Sarvankar firing in the air as “ludicrous”.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the coalition ally of the Shinde faction, jumped into the fray by backing Sarvankar.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pravin Darekar said that the action by the Uddhav camp reflected the “sense of widespread despair” among its cadres after Thackeray’s ouster from power. “In desperation, functionaries of the Uddhav camp are resorting to such strong-arm tactics. This was evident even during Aaditya Thackeray’s rallies in Maharashtra,” remarked Darekar.
