Mumbai: Fight over the rights of the Shakha (office) of Shiv Sena in Turbhe is getting uglier as the Shinde faction of Shiv Sena took over control of the office on Thursday in presence of police. The party also removed banners and photos of the Thackeray faction.
Now, the Thackeray faction has decided to approach the court over the rights of the party office.
Both claim rights over party office
While similar rights issue over the party offices were being reported from Mumbai and Thane, the Thackeray factions locked the Turbhe Shakha of the party last week, preventing the Shinde factions from gaining access to it. The Shinde faction also put their own lock in the party office. The party office was recently renovated by the then Urban Development Minister and now chief minister Eknath Shinde. Suresh Kulkarni, the local former corporator and deputy district president of Shinde Shiv Sena had reportedly borne the cost of the renovation.
Vitthal More, District President - Shivsena Uddhav Thackeray, said that since they are in power, they took over control of the party office in police presence. “We have held a meeting of party workers and collected all the papers,” said More, adding that with all documents, they will approach the court. “The Shinde faction has been using power to pressurise people to stay with them. The person on whose name the property tax of the party office is being paid was pressured to stay with the Shinde faction,” alleged More.
Shinde faction refutes allegations
The Shinde faction refuted the claims and allegations of the Thackeray faction. While talking to the media, the local former corporator Suresh Kulkarni claimed that they renovated the party office with their own expenses and they are paying the electricity bills and the maintenance bills of the office. “It’s unfortunate that they are making a claim. The fact is that this office was built by me and we are maintaining it. Even Raju Shaikh, the person on whose name the property tax is being paid, is with us,” said Kulkarni.
Meanwhile, More said that he is against any vigilance and he will approach the court for justice. “Kulkarni is one of my good friends and we have no intention of street fight with him,” said More, adding that he hoped that they too would maintain this.
