Mumbai: Dropping a new political bomb, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA and ex-minister Aditya Thackeray has claimed that before his revolt in June 2022, current Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had reportedly "cried and apprehended arrest by central probe agencies".
"Shinde had come to our home (Matoshri) before the rebellion... he cried saying he would land in jail if he didn't go with the Bharatiya Janata Party," claimed Thackeray Jr, speaking to a private television channel.
Shinde and the 40 MLAs quit the original Shiv Sena "only to save their seats and for money... there was no other reason for them to quit", Aditya Thackeray said as a fresh political row erupted.
“These 40 people have gone for their own seats and money, nothing else. The present chief minister came to our house and cried that he would be arrested by central agencies. He said he would have to hop on to the BJP. It's his good luck that these guys wanted to show him as the true Sena and so he will become the chief minister," Aaditya Thackeray said.
Endorsing the party leader, Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said Shinde was "under the radar of the central agencies" and more than half the legislators were under the pressures of action by CBI, ED or ITD, compelling them to rebel, and the Maha Vikas Aghadi government was toppled in nine months.
"We talked to them, attempted to convince them to fight as we are Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sainiks, but they did not listen and caved in under the pressures. Now a similar attempt is being made with the Nationalist Congress Party MLAs to break them," said Raut.
Speaking at Hyderabad's Gitam, Aaditya said, "There is only one Shiv Sena and the others are traitors. They have tried to steal everything from us. The chief minister has gone to Delhi I think probably because he now wants our surname Thackeray too. Someone who has run away with everything only gets the tag of a 'chor'," Aaditya Thackeray said.
"In Assembly, they are scared to look at us. Some guys wink and say if they get disqualified they will come back; if they don't become ministers, they will come back. You see the expansion of the Maharashtra cabinet has not happened yet because they are scared to do so," he said.
The Sena (UBT) MP's reference was ostensible to certain speculation that NCP's Leader of Opposition (Assembly) Ajit Pawar was allegedly "on way to BJP", but Pawar himself rubbished the contentions.
Leader of Opposition (Council) Ambadas Danve also supported Aditya Thackeray, while Deputy Leader Sushma Andhare said its clear that CBI-ED-ITD were misused to bring down the MVA government.
Union Minister Narayan Rane dismissed Aditya Thackeray's comments as "childish" and declined to comment on his contentions, questioning Thackeray Jr' locus standi.
"When did he (Shinde) cry, where and why... He brought the Shiv Sena to us...the BJP is allied with the real Balasaheb Thackeray's party," Rane countered.
Denying Aditya Thackeray's assertions that Shinde had "shed tears", other leaders of the ruling alliance Shiv Sena like Sanjay Shirsat said that he (Shinde) had gone to Matoshri to discuss and resolve their problems with Thackeray on various issues.
The MVA allies Congress-Nationalist Congress Party have not yet reacted to Thackeray Jr's sensational claims.
With inputs from agencies