News Analysis India

Tag: Shiv Sena MLA

  • ‘Better to reconcile with BJP before it’s too late’: Sena MLA under ED scanner writes to Uddhav

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik, who is under the Enforcement Directorate’s scanner for alleged money laundering, has written a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray appealing to him to reconcile with the BJP “before it is too late”.

    In the letter dated June 10, Sarnaik said even though the alliance with the BJP has broken, personal and harmonious relations between leaders of the ‘yuti’ (Shiv Sena-BJP) remain.

    “It is better to reconcile before it is too late,” the MLA said in the letter.

    Notably, the Sena forged an alliance with the NCP and Congress and formed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra in 2019 after the Uddhav Thackeray-led party fell out with the BJP.

    Shiv Sena MLA @PratapSarnaik writes CM Uddhav Thackeray asking patch up wid BJP once again. He said their families r unnecessary troubled by central probe agencies; once Sena BJP alliance govt is in Maharashtra, then they & their families will have major relief. @NewIndianXpress pic.twitter.com/yBdnoHtxUW
    — Sudhir Suryawanshi (@ss_suryawanshi) June 20, 2021

    In November last year, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided premises linked to Sarnaik in Maharashtra in connection with a money laundering case being probed against a security service provider company and others.

    ALSO READ | MVA alliance for 5 years, not permanent fixture: Congress

    The Shiv Sena had called the raids a “political vendetta” and said the Maharashtra government or its leaders will not surrender to pressure from anyone.

    Noting that municipal corporation polls are due soon in several Maharashtra cities, including Mumbai, Sarnaik in his letter to the CM said, “I believe fighting a war like Arjun, instead of sacrificing oneself like Abhimanyu or Karna. This is the reason that I have been fighting my legal battle for the last seven months alone without getting any help from our leaders or our government .”

    Sarnaik, who is an MLA from neighbouring Thane district, also alleged that the Congress and NCP were creating divisions in the Shiv Sena ranks.

    “It is better to join hands with Prime Minister Narendra Modi again as Shiv Sainiks feel that would save the Sena leaders like me, Anil Parab and Ravindra Waikar from problems,” he said.

    Notably, former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya had accused the three Sena leaders of indulging in corrupt practices.

    Sarnaik, in his letter, did not name Somaiya, but said a leader “who has become a ‘former MP’ because of the Sena” is maligning the party.

    Sarnaik also claimed that Shiv Sena MLAs feel only the work of Congress and NCP legislators is being done and not of those from his party.

    “Shiv Sena MLAs wonder whether the MVA has been formed, by breaking the alliance with the BJP, to help the Congress and NCP grow,” he said.

    Sarnaik also said in the letter that while CM Thackeray was focusing only on COVID-19 eradication, the Congress was talking of going alone in next elections and the NCP was busy “breaking” Shiv Sena workers and inducting them into the Sharad Pawar-led party.

    Meanwhile, reacting to Sarnaik’s letter, Somaiya said the Sena MLA seems to be worried about jail now and so, he has asked CM Thackeray to join hands with PM Modi and the BJP.

    “All corrupt leaders of the Shiv Sena – Pratap Sarnaik, Anil Parab, Ravindra Waikar – will have to be in jail,” the BJP leader said in a statement.

    Somaiya also said he had lodged a complaint at a police station in Thane about Sarnaik “missing” for last 100 days. 

  • WATCH: Shiv Sena MLA makes contractor sit on Mumbai’s waterlogged road, gets garbage dumped on him

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: In a shocking incident, a Shiv Sena MLA forced a civic contractor to sit on a waterlogged road in Mumbai on Saturday and asked workers to dump garbage on him for allegedly not getting the drains cleaned properly.

    Shiv Sena MLA from Chandivali, Dilip Lande said he did this because the contractor “did not do his job properly,” which led to clogging of the drains and waterlogging.

    “I had been calling up the contractor for the last 15 days requesting him to clear the road. He never did that. Shiv Sena people were themselves working on it. When he came to know, he rushed there. I told him that it is his responsibility and he should do it,” MLA Dilip Lande told ANI.

    #WATCH | Mumbai: Shiv Sena MLA from Chandivali, Dilip Lande makes a contractor sit on water logged road & asks workers to dump garbage on him after a road was waterlogged due to improper drainage cleaningHe says, “I did this as the contractor didn’t do his job properly” (12.6) pic.twitter.com/XjhACTC6PI
    — ANI (@ANI) June 13, 2021

    The incident took place on Saturday.

    On Friday, the Mayor of Mumbai Kishori Kishor Pednekar had notified that strict action would be taken against those who are found dumping garbage in the drains and gutters. She said so keeping in view the blockage of ‘nallas’, meant for drainage of rainwater.

    Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMC) administration had also been instructed to create more awareness about the same and the use of CCTV cameras to monitor defaulters has also been proposed.

    Citing the reason for strictness, Pednekar had said, “In the nallahs carrying rainwater, it is observed that plastic, goods, garbage etc. are being dumped in many places, which hinders the flow of rainwater. As a result, the citizens of the area are suffering due to flooding.”

    Mumbai had been lashed with heavy rains over the past few days leading to flooding and waterlogging in parts of the city. The India Meteorological Department also downgraded its “red alert” warning of “extremely heavy” rain to an orange alert of heavy or very heavy rain. Traffic jams for hours, waterlogging on streets brought life to a standstill in the city. 

  • PMLA: Bail of Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik’s ‘associate’ Amit Chandole rejected

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: A special PMLA court in Mumbai on Saturday rejected the bail plea of Amit Chandole, an alleged associate of Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik, in a money laundering case lodged by the Enforcement Directorate.

    Chandole was arrested in November last year under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in a case involving a firm providing security services and others.

    His bail plea was rejected by special PMLA Judge A A Nandgoankar, though the detailed order had not been made available as yet.

    The ED has said it is probing alleged suspicious dealings of Chandole, Sarnaik, security service providing firm Tops Group and its promoter Rahul Nanda, all of whom have denied the allegations.