Nation / Tue, 23 Apr 2024 The Indian Express

‘Eknath Shinde cried, desperately urged my father to join BJP…after cash was found in his godown,’ says Aaditya Thackeray

“Eknath Shinde had come to ‘Matoshree’ and met Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. Aaditya Thackeray said Shinde was threatened by Modi Government to join hands with BJP or face arrest. This was after cash was found in his godown…And after that he had come pleading to Uddhav Thackeray to join hands with the BJP,” he said. ”Maval is a bastion of the Shiv Sena and therefore the Sena will win from here,” he said. He is facing challenge from sitting MP Shrirang Barne who has been fielded by the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

SHIV Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray today said when Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was the a minister in Maha Vikas Aghadi Government, he had sobbed before Uddhav Thackeray and made desperate attempts to force him to join hands with BJP.

“Eknath Shinde had come to ‘Matoshree’ and met Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. He was crying at that time and was desperately urging my father to join hands with the BJP,” Aaditya Thackeray said in Pimpri-Chinchwad today where he had come to file nomination papers of party candidate Sanjog Wahgere.

Aaditya Thackeray said Shinde was threatened by Modi Government to join hands with BJP or face arrest. ”He was told to either join us or go to jail by the Modi Government. This was after cash was found in his godown…And after that he had come pleading to Uddhav Thackeray to join hands with the BJP,” he said.

Earlier today, Sena leader Sanjay Raut had made a similar statement claiming that the union government had planned to arrest Shinde.

“The Modi government had planned to arrest Eknath Shinde. The chief minister should be asked whether this is true or not,” said Raut. Asked about the case in which Shinde was purportedly meant to be arrested, the MP alleged, “He had committed several irregularities… He was involved in money laundering.”

According to Raut, Shinde was told that action would be initiated against him if he did not part ways with the MVA along with several MLAs. “They asked him to split the Sena or face arrest.”

Aaditya exuded confidence about the victory of Sanjog Waghere. ”Maval is a bastion of the Shiv Sena and therefore the Sena will win from here,” he said.

Waghere is contesting his first Lok Sabha election from Maval Lok Sabha constituency. He is facing challenge from sitting MP Shrirang Barne who has been fielded by the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.