The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) constant needling of the Shiv Sena, sometimes accusing the latter of abandoning its traditional Hindutva character, while on other occasions, cracking down on prominent party leaders through the Enforcement Directorate (ED), seems to have compelled already on-edge sainiks to flex their muscles and intimidate with violence.
The past week saw a constant political slugfest between the Shiv Sena and the BJP over the Hanuman Chalisa-Azaan row, set into motion by MNS chief Raj Thackeray on the occasion of Gudi Padwa.
Rana-Sena tussle
What came as the last straw for loyal sainiks was independent MLA Ravi Rana and his wife Navneet Rana, and independent MP, threatening to recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s residence, Matoshree, on Saturday morning. The couple from Amravati arrived in Mumbai on Friday and said they wanted to do so “to attain peace for the state.”
The same night, Mumbai-based BJP leader Mohit Kamboj’s car was attacked by a mob at Kalanagar junction. Kalanagar is where Matoshree is located. “This was an attempt to kill me by the Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra CM to suppress my voice,” he told ANI.
Kamboj uploaded video statements on social media, saying he had gone to attend a wedding and while returning home, his car was stopped at the Kalanagar signal. “Suddenly, a mob of hundreds attacked my vehicle and broke its glasses and damaged door handles,” he alleged.
BJP MLA Ashish Shelar later told media persons: “Mohit Kamboj was attacked while he was travelling alone. Shiv Sena should not forget that their leaders also travel alone; the same can happen to them. We will answer and won’t relent.”
Violence at Khar
The face-off between the Rana couple and Sena intensified on Saturday morning as a large group of sainiks broke through police barricades, trying to enter the couple’s residence in suburban Khar. The Ranas called off their plans to recite Hanuman Chalisa, citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Mumbai on Sunday for the Deenanath Mangeshkar awards. Despite this, sainiks refused to budge unless the couple tendered an apology to the “people of Maharashtra”.
At around the same time in Nagpur, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut told media persons that he would “bury” the Rana couple “20 feet below the ground”. “If anyone targets Matoshree, they should keep material for last rites ready,” he said.
The Ranas were arrested by Mumbai Police in the evening on charges of “creating enmity between groups.”
However, the Sena was not done flexing its muscle yet. When BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, who has been accused by the Sena of orchestrating the INS Vikrant scam, went to visit the Rana couple at Khar police station later in the night, he was attacked by hundreds of sainiks, who hurled stones at him and his vehicle. In a series of real-time tweets, Somaiya said there was “heavy stone-throwing at Khar police station by Shiv Sena gundas” and that his “car window glass is broken, I am injured…”
“This is the third time that Uddhav Thackeray’s gundas have tried to kill me,” he tweeted. “First at Washim, then Pune, and now at Khar Police Station.” In another tweet, he wrote: “I am shocked, in the presence of 50 police persons in the compound of Khar Police station, Shiv Sena’s 100’gundas assault me with stones, wanted to kill (me). What is the Police Commissioner doing? How so many mafia Sena gundas (were) allowed to gather in the police station?”
Police action
Speaking with the media on Sunday, Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil admitted that stone-pelting incident had indeed taken place. “The probe is currently underway to find out who was behind it. The police will take appropriate action against those found guilty. A case has been registered in the matter,” he said.
On Monday, Mumbai Police arrested Shiv Sena leader and former Mumbai mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar, and three others, in connection with the attack on Somaiya’s vehicle.
Earlier, on April 19, a van with a screen mounted on it to showcase Sena’s failures — part of BJP’s “poll khol” campaign ahead of the BMC election — was found vandalised in Chembur. BJP leader Pravin Darekar suspected that the Sena was behind the attack.