Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde would have “shot himself in the head” if his revolt against the Shiv Sena leadership had failed last year, cabinet minister Deepak Kesarkar has claimed.
Reacting to the sensational claim of Kesarkar, who was among the rebel MLAs led by Shinde, made on Tuesday, rival Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said the minister should be taken into custody for being aware of someone’s suicide plans.
Kesarkar alleged Shinde, who was a minister in the Uddhav Thackeray cabinet, was insulted on the Shiv Sena foundation day (June 19) last year.
The school education minister, a key member of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, said the chief minister is a true Shiv Sainik.
“Shinde saheb is a genuine human being and a true Shiv Sainik. He (Shinde) had said ‘if my revolt failed, I would have sent all the (rebel) MLAs back… I would have made a call (to Matoshree — the private home of Thackeray family in suburban Bandra) and said I made a mistake, but the MLAs are not at fault and then I would have shot myself in the head’,” Kesarkar said.
The minister said a person who thinks on these lines is all together at a different level as he has the maturity to understand that not a single MLA’s career should be politically ruined because of him, even at the cost of his own life.
Latching on the statements, Raut said police should take Kesarkar into custody.
“Police should take Deepak Kesarkar into custody because someone is thinking about committing suicide and Kesarkar is aware of it. If tomorrow he (apparently referring to Shinde) commits suicide after the Assembly Speaker gives a decision (on disqualification of MLAs), then Kesarkar should be taken into custody immediately,” the Rajya Sabha MP added.
On June 20 last year, 40 Shiv Sena MLAs, including Shinde, revolted against the leadership, leading to a split in the party and collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.
Days later, Shinde took over as new chief minister with the BJP’s support.
