‘They point fingers at me for what you do’: Eknath Shinde warns party leaders

New Delhi: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde urged his party leaders to control their tempers, days after a top leader slapped a canteen staffer in public.

Eknath Shinde at a party meeting in Dadar here on Monday told the leaders to consider themselves primarily ‘workers’, adding ‘not let success go to their heads’.

The party’s legislator for Buldhana, Sanjay Gaikwad, beat up a canteen staff member for allegedly serving stale food last week.

Despite the incident caused widespread outrage, the lawmaker justified his action.

‘In the past few days, certain incidents have taken place... People don't point fingers at you - they point at me for what you do. They ask me: 'What are your MLAs up to?’ the sources quoted him as saying.

The Deputy Chief Minister alongside criticizing unruly behaviour told the meeting that ‘We are one family. Your disrepute is my disrepute. Don't waste your energy on unnecessary matters. Speak less, work more’.

Giving a stern warning, Shinde said because of backlash some ministers had to step down, adding ‘I don't like to take action against members of my own family. But don't compel me to do it. I expect discipline and accountability from each of you’.

Setting himself a model for others he said he never acted like a boss but a karyakarta ( Party workers) ‘No matter how many positions you hold, always remember: you are first and foremost a worker’.

The Shiv Sena chief warned his party leaders that there were attempts to malign the party as ‘we have achieved a lot in a very short span. The people are with us’, adding ‘Public life demands discipline - and we must uphold it.’

Police filed a case against MLA Sanjay Gaikwad who on live TV admitted to assaulting the canteen staff member.