Maharashtra Crisis News LIVE: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is taking the rebels head on, accusing them of betrayal and challenging them to try and wean away common party workers. He slammed rebel leader Eknath Shinde and also tore into the BJP, saying it wants to “finish off” the Shiv Sena. As the rebel MLAs showed no signs patchiing up, the Thackeray camp moved to disqualify 16 of them. Thackeray also communicated directly with Shiv Sainiks and mid-level functionaries, and also met NCP president Sharad Pawar.
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Protests against rebels, effigies burnt
Shiv Sena workers protested against rebel MLAs of the party and burnt effigies outside the party office in Kharghar.
Shinde’s son’s office vandalied
Shiv Sainiks have vandalised the office of Shrikant Shinde in Ulhasnagar. Shrikant is Shiv Sena MP, and the son of Eknath Shinde.
Dy Speaker sends notices to 16 rebel MLAs
Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal has sent notices to the 16 rebel MLAs to give replies, after the Shiv Sena submitted an application for their disqualification. They have been asked to reply by Monday 5pm. Zirwal has also rejected the notice for the removal for the Deputy Speaker.
Rebels begin meeting, to take new name?
The rebels under Eknath Shinde have started their meeting. Sources say they are likely to take the name ‘Shiv Sena Balasaheb Thackeray’ , but more of this will be known they hold a press meeting at 4 pm.
What is Section 144 under CrPC
Section 144 under the Criminal Procedure Code is a genral prohibitory order . It authorises the Executive Magistrate of any state or territory to issue an order to prohibit the assembly of four or more people in an area. According to the law, every member of such ‘unlawful assembly’ can be booked for engaging in rioting. Section 144 is imposed in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger of some event
Govt orders Section 144 in Mumbai
To prevent any untoward incidents prohibitory orders under Section 144 have been imposed in Mumbai till July 10. Section 144 of the CrPC generally prohibits public gathering
Uddhav Thackeray given powers to take action against those who have ‘betrayed’ the Shiv Sena.
No compromise on Marathi pride: Shiv Sena
Shiv Sena’s executive meet passes a resolution: Shiv Sena is Balasaheb’s, and will remain like that. There will be no compromise on the issue of Marathi pride.
I spoke to Devendra Fadnavis. He said that we don’t have anything to do with the internal conflict in Shiv Sena. Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde will themselves resolve the dispute between them, we don’t have anything to do with that. We are waiting and watching.
– Ramdas Athawale, Union minister
Shiv Sena national executive meet is on at Sena Bhavan
Govt orders protection to rebels’ homes
In view of the situation, we have issued orders to provide security to their (rebel MLAs’) home and family: Maharashtra home minister Walse Patil.
We are still with the Shiv Sena. We are followers of ideals of Balasaheb Thackeray. We feel that we have fought the elections with the BJP, and the mandate was to rule the state with the BJP.
– Deepak Kesrkar, rebel MLA
Shiv Sena MLA justifies violence
MLA Ambadas Danve said this on the violence against he property of rebel MLA : “Who can stop the Shiv Sainiks’ feelings. If your actions lead to pain to Uddhav Thackeray, then there will be a reaction.”
Shiv Sena workers vandalise office of rebel MLA
Shiv Sena workers today vandalised an office of rebel Shiv Sena MLA Tanaji Sawant, who is currently in Guwahati as part of the Eknath Shinde camp. A group of Sena workers barged into the office of Bhairavnath Sugar Works, which belongs to Sawant, and damaged the office located in Katraj area, PTI reported. People who were part of the action were quoted as saying the offices of every “traitor” (rebel MLA) will be destroyed in the coming days. Sawant represents Paranda assembly constituency in Osmanabad district.
Eknath Shinde’s camp likely to hold a press conference at 4pm today.
Only MLAs have protection, not their families.You call yourselves tigers, then why are you bleating like goats.
– Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena leader
No security withdrawn, says state home minister
The office of the Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil reacted to Eknath Shinde’s allegation on withdrawal of scecurity to MLAs. The Chief Minister or the Home Minister has not withdrawn any security, a statement said, adding that the allegations made on Twitter were not just false, but also misleading.
Shinde accuses govt of ‘malicious withdrawal’ of security
- Rebel leader Eknath Shinde has accused the Maharashtra government of ‘malicious withdrawal’ of security provided to families of MLAs
- Shiv Sena workers have begun vandalising properties of the rebel MLAs, he tweeted.
- Rebel MLA Tanaji Sawant’s office in Pune was vandalised
Section 144 imposed in Thane
Maharashtra | In view of the ongoing political instability in the state, Thane District Administration has issued a… https://t.co/eEUTmtXG4H
— ANI (@ANI) 1656134557000
Who is footing plane & hotel bills, asks NCP
Ruling alliance partner NCP has sought to know who is paying the hotel bills in Guwahati and Surat for the stay of the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs. Andl also the bills for the chartered flights used to ferry rebels to Guwahati. The NCP also asked the Income Tax Department and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to find out the source of “black money” involved.”If ED and IT get activated, the source of the black money will be exposed,”NCP’s chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said.
Shinde meeting with rebels afternoon
Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde has called a meeting at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Guwahati this afternoon to discuss further strategy, TOI reports quoting sources.
Uddhav Thackeray to hold Sena national executive meeting
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has called a meeting of the party’s national executive committee on Saturday at 1 pm. The meeting will be held at the Shiv Sena Bhavan,Thackeray will join virtually. Yesterday, Thackeray convened a meeting of the district chiefs in which he said the rebel MLAs want to “break the party”.
BJP in wait-and-watch mode
The BJP has taken care not to be seen as part of the trouble in the Shiv Sena. Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil said his party has nothing to do with the ongoing drama. The party is in a wait-and-watch mode as the battle seemed headed for the courts. “Unless Uddhav Thackeray resigns as chief minister, there is little BJP can do,” TOI quoted a source as saying. The source also said the party is waiting for the Thackeray camp to commit a mistake legally.
Secrecy is the buzzword here in Guwahati
Secrecy is the buzzword at the luxury hotel in Guwahati where the Shiv Sena rebels are camping. Its gates are bolted tight and there is a huge posse of police posted in and around the hotel, reports PTI. Police officials are tightlipped about the guests and the security. The hotel, which has 196 rooms, is reportedly not making any fresh bookings for the next one week. Media persons have been camping outside the hotel since Wednesday.
Thackeray accuses rebels of ‘betrayal’
Uddhav Thackeray, who is also the Shiv Sena president, had this to tell the Sainiks yesterday in his interaction: “We gave these rebels tickets to contest assembly elections despite many of you being aspirants for the same. These people are disgruntled after getting elected owing to your hard work, and you are standing by the party in this crucial time. I can’t thank you enough.”
The advisors behind the legal fight
The Shinde camp is now being advised by some of the top lawyers in the country for the legal challenges, ET reported quoting sources. On the other side, Uddhav Thackeray camp’s strategy is being guided by the NCP, which is going all out to ensure that the MVA government survives.
Shiv Sena to send notices to rebels
- The Shiv Sena has sent the names of four more rebel MLAs – apart from the 12 earlier – to the Maharashtra Assembly deputy speaker for initiating action of disqualification against them.
- The party will also issue notices to 16 MLAs of the rebel faction and ask them to respond by Monday.
- The four MLAs whose names were forwarded to the deputy speaker were Sanjay Raymulkar, Chiman Patil, Ramesh Bornare and Balaji Kalyankar.
- The charge against them is that they did not attend Wednesday’s party meeting despite a letter to them.
- The party has already given names of 12 MLAs to the deputy speaker including leader of the rebel camp Eknath Shinde, seeking their disqualification.
Sena battle seems headed to the courtroom
- The crisis in the Shiv Sena seems headed to the courtrrom. The Uddhav Thackeray camp and the rebels are trying to use procedural precedents to outdo each other.
- Shiv Sena has sought the disqualifications of its rebel lawmakers – first 12, and the four more – in a bid to tweak the numbers in its favour.
- The plan is apprently to disqualify some of the the MLAs of the Eknath Shinde camp. And then use this threat to make the others fall in line.
- The Thackeray camp submitted an application to deputy speaker Narhari Zirwal. The rebel camp, in response, has moved a notice of motion for removal of the deputy speaker.
- What this would mean is a drawn-out legal battle of attrition, rather than a quick finish on the floor of the Assembly.
What the rebel camp is doing
The rebel camp didn’t reveal its cards yesterday. If anybody expected them to move for a floor test, now that they have the necessary numbers and more, it wasn’t happening. They held back on that, for reasons best known to them. When the Uddhav Thackeray camp moved the deputy speaker to disqualify 16 of the rebel MLAs, they moved a notice of motion for removal of the deputy speaker and claimed he has no locus standi to have them barred.
Uddhav Thackeray hits out at BJP
Uddhav Thackeray yesterday tore into the BJP, saying it wants to “finish off” the Shiv Sena. He says the BJP does not want to and does not want to share its Hindu votebank. “The BJP treated us badly, didn’t honour promises. Many of the rebels have cases filed against them. So if they go with the BJP, they will become clean, if they stayed with us, they will go to jail. Is this a sign of friendship?” he told his party functionaries.
