Mumbai, July 19 (UNI) The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has warned the Shiv Sena rebels to watch their tongues while criticizing its party President Sharad Pawar and senior leader Ajit Pawar, or “it will be difficult for them (rebels) to move around,” here on Tuesday. NCP Chief Spokesperson Mahesh Tapase, NCP Youth Presi- dent Suraj Chavan, and MLC Amol Mitkari strong- ly slammed former minister Ramdas Kadam, who was sacked as a Deputy Leader by Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray on Monday.
At a media briefing, Kadam, weeping uncontrollably before the media persons, alleged that he was “deeply grieved” to witness the Sena collapsing in this manner and squarely blamed NCP’s Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar for its decimation. Kadam claimed that it was the machinations of the Pawars that have led to the current scenario and demanded to know “why Thackeray still wants their support” or remains with the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance. Reacting to this, Tapase said the whole state and country know “what are the compulsions, whose files were pending where the investigations they were apprehending, the allurements or who is be- hind the Sena rebellion”.
In a sharp retort, Chavan warned the Sena leaders supporting Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s group to ‘mind their language’ be- fore speaking anything ill about the Pawars. “They should be careful what they speak… Otherwise, it will become difficult for them to move around,” Chavan warned, even as the state government and the Centre beefed up security for around a dozen Sena MPs who are all set to join the Shinde Group.
Mitkari hit out at Kadam, asking him what he was doing in the party for so long that he is now hurling allegations at the NCP accusing it of destroying the Shiv Sena and asking them to watch out before targeting the Pawars. The NCP leaders have slammed the rebels, especially the senior leaders who “grew big with the support of Balasaheb Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray” but now have dumped the Shiv Sena overnight. Certain leaders of the Shinde Group have launched an attack on the NCP and the Pawar uncle-nephew duo and charged them with ruining the 56-year-old Shiv Sena.
