Eknath Shinde should resign: Raut on Ulhasnagar firing incident

MUMBAI: Day after Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Ganpat Gaikwad allegedly opened fire at Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) faction leader Mahesh Gaikwad at Hill Line Police Station in Maharashtra's Ulhasnagar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut called for Chief Minister Ekhnath Shinde's resination.

"Ganpat Gaikwad is an MLA from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He has been the MLA for the last three times. The question is not on welfare but on the capability of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The firing incident took place in the hometown of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the MLA openly says that Shinde forced him to shoot. The Chief Minister should resign," Raut said speaking to ANI on Saturday.

Taking a dig at the BJP for allegedly conducting raids on Opposition party leaders, Raut said, "You conduct raids on us. But what is all this?"

The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader also claimed that the BJP MLA who fired at the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) MLA said that gangsters will continue to thrive in the state if Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stays in power.

"The MLA for the party that is in power also said that if Chief Minister Shinde stays in power, gangsters will thrive in Maharashtra," Raut said.

Hitting out at the Eknath Shinde government, Raut also said that the way the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) has become a den of goons, similar incidents can also take place at the CMO.

"Today, it happened at a Police station. The manner in which the CMO has become a den of goons, I fear that such incidents can take place even at the Mantralaya and CMO," Raut said.

Notably, the BJP and the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) are partners in the ruling alliance in Maharashtra along with the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) National Spokesperson Clyde Crasto also criticised the state government claiming a failure of law and order.

"This incident inside a police station makes one feel that this is an indication of the horrific times that are going to come in Maharashtra. If there is an argument between two ruling parties - BJP and Shinde Sena - and a BJP MLA fires bullets, he can shoot anyone tomorrow. You have to understand that the law and order situation in Maharashtra is bad...What is the Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis doing?...He has failed as a Home Minister. He should resign" Clyde Crasto said.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadanavis have ordered a high-level inquiry into the police station firing incident. A Crime Branch Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also been formed to investigate the incident.

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde also visited Jupiter Hospital in Thane to meet his party leader Mahesh Gaikwad who was shot by BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad yesterday in Ulhasnagar.

Mahesh Gaikwad and Rahul Patil who were critically injured at the firing incident, were been admitted to the Jupiter Hospital in Thane for treatment.

"Going by what has been found here, there was no question of (firing in) self-defence. The injured were sitting and watching the CCTV screen. There was no argument or provocation. But he (Ganpat Gaikwad) aimed and shot them," Thane Additional CP Datta Shinde said.

"A total of ten rounds were fired in the Ulhasnagar incident. Six bullets were taken out of Mahesh Gaikwad's body by the doctors," the Additional CP said.