In what to take a serious turn, veteran Congressman Sanjay Nirupam on Thursday wanted to know whether his party’s Mumbai unit has merged with the Shiv Sena.
Over the past few months, Nirupam, a Shiv Sainik-turned-Congressman, had been targeting the Shiv Sena, Maha Vikas Aghadi government and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
Last week, Nirupam has sought an investigation into the land deal inked by Thackeray for his bungalow Matoshree 2. Nirupam has claimed that while Thackeray bought the plot for Rs 5 crore, it is worth much more.
Thackeray lives in a bungalow which was built by his father Balasaheb Thackeray in Kalanagar area of Bandra in Mumbai. The bungalow is known as Matoshree and is revered by Shiv Sena workers like a shrine since the death of Bal Thackeray. A few years ago, another building, now called Matoshree 2, was built right opposite the existing family home.
Nirupam wants this land deal to be investigated by ED and CBI.
On Thursday, to a tweet by a media house that Nirupam could be expelled for anti-party activities, Nirupam tagged it and tweeted: “As per this report, Mumbai Congress leaders have demanded action against me. Because, I wanted a probe into Shiv Sena leaders’ land scam, who happens to be CM of the state. Is speaking against Shiv Sena an anti party activity? Is Mumbai Congress merged into Shiv Sena?”
Nirupam posted an government advertisement on employment generation programme which has photographs of Thackeray, Industries Minister Subhash Desai (of Shiv Sena) and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Labour Minister Dilip Walse-Patil, Skill Development Minister Nawab Malik (all from NCP).
‘’Hope you have heard Congress is part of the government. Where is Congress in the government advertisement to provide jobs . I want to tell the Congress leaders who have fallen in love with the Shiv Sena , instead of prostrating before the Shiv Sena, fight it , otherwise the Congress will be finished,’’ he said and tagged the advertisement in the tweet.