Attack on Sharad Pawar's home: Shiv Sena calls it 'BJP conspiracy'

In a direct charge, the Shiv Sena on Saturday accused the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party of masterminding the conspiracy to carry out the attack on Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar's residence on Friday evening.

Talking to the media after calling on Pawar, Shiv Sena MP and Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut said that the transport workers' stir on Friday was not an agitation, but a brutal, pre-planned attack on the NCP leader's residence at Silver Oaks bungalow in South Mumbai.

"It is regretful that the Opposition (BJP) is supporting such acts. They are stooping to the lowest level of politics to destabilise the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, create a law-and-order situation," Raut said, after meeting the Pawar family.

Training guns on the leader and lawyer of the agitating Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) staffers, Adv. Gunratan Sadavarte, Raut demanded to know who is "behind" him, he leads a lavish lifestyle so who is supporting him economically.

Even when scores of MSRTC employees rushed to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), they all had platform tickets and Raut asked how they could all buy the entry tickets simultaneously and who had financed it.

Raut alleged that Adv. Sadavarte has been 'propped up' by the BJP under the garb of a labour agitation with the sinister aims of toppling the MVA government but they would not succeed.

Meanwhile, Sadavarte and around 100-plus who were arrested late last night in connection with the attacks, shall be produced before a Mumbai Magistrate Court later today.

It maybe recalled that between 100-125 employees of the MSRTC - who are on the warpath since November 2021 - went on a rampage outside Pawar's home and later carried out a precision attack with stones and shoes, shaking the state and national polity.

The sudden attack has been blamed on 'intelligence failure' by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Raut and Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis with demands for a probe into the role of the police and its allegedly delayed response though the media-teams had got advance tip-off and were present there in full strength.

The incident was taken note of at the highest levels, including Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, while Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil has ordered a police report into Friday's assault.

Taking no chances, the Mumbai Police have beefed up security at the homes of key dignitaries including the CM, DyCM, Transport Minister Anil Parab, the homes of the Pawar clan in Mumbai and Baramati (Pune) and other leaders.