Rebel MLAs sold themselves for lakhs and crores: Aaditya Thackeray
Maharashtra Tourism Minister and Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray claimed on Monday that 15 to 20 MLAs, who are in the Eknath Shinde-led rebel camp, are in touch with the party and want to come back to Mumbai from Guwahati. He further said that Shinde and other rebels have sold themselves for lakhs and crores when Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was in the hospital.
- The political crisis in Maharashtra began following a rebellion by Eknath Shinde. Later, he also claimed he had the support of 40 MLAs against the present government.
- He was displeased with the Sena joining hands with the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to form the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance.
- He claimed Sena MLAs were sidelined, while alliance partners benefited the most.
In an impassioned address to Shivsainiks in Byculla, Thackeray alleged, "When the CM was hospitalized, they (rebels) sold themselves. I would like to ask them, is there no humanity left? We trusted them." "There are two groups in Guwahati—15-16 people who are in touch with us... The other group is the one that has run away, they have no courage and morality," he added.
Challenging the rebels to resign and stand before them, Thackeray alleged that Shinde was offered the post of the CM on May 20 but instead "he did drama." "Many people told us that Congress and NCP will betray us but our people betrayed us. Many MLAs who were watchmen, rickshaw drivers, and paan shopkeepers—we made them ministers," news agency ANI quoted Thackeray as saying.
Thackeray further alleged that the food bill of the rebel MLAs holed up in Guwahati's Raddison Blu Hotel was to the tune of Rs. 9 lakh per day. "They (rebel MLAs) went to Guwahati where there's a flood situation and many people are without shelter and food. They (rebel MLAs) are enjoying there... They are taking private choppers. Shame on them," he said.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Monday gave Shinde and 15 other rebel MLAs time till July 11 to respond to the disqualification notices served to them by Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal on Saturday. The MLAs had challenged these notices before the apex court. Shinde had also claimed the Maharashtra government removed the protection from the homes of the 16 dissident lawmakers, including himself.
The Shinde camp is apparently seeking an alliance with their erstwhile partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which they see as Sena's "natural ally." "We are traditionally the rivals of the NCP and Congress, they are our primary challengers in constituencies. We requested CM Uddhav Thackeray that natural alliance should be done," rebel MLA Chimanrao Patil said in a video tweeted by Shinde.
