Sena-BJP legislators hit Rahul's posters with slippers

The issue was raised in the Assembly by Congress's Balasaheb Thorat

In an incident that triggered displeasure from various quarters, legislators of the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP alliance hit a poster of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with slippers at the stairs of the Vidhan Bhavan complex in Mumbai on Thursday.

The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi took strong exception to the incident. The MLAs and MLCs were protesting against Rahul’s remarks against Swatantryaveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar during last year’s Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Earlier, the Assembly witnessed a couple of adjournments with ruling alliance MLAs shouting slogans against Rahul for his remarks on Savarkar.

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Shiv Sena legislator Pratap Sarnaik raised the issue saying Rahul has repeatedly “insulted” Savarkar, while MLA Sanjay Shirsat sought the permission of the chair to move a resolution against the Congress MP. BJP MLA Ashish Shelar demanded an apology from Rahul.

After the incident at the stairs of Vidhan Bhavan complex, Congress Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat raised the issue in the Assembly and was supported by Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar.

Speaker Rahul Narwekar expressed displeasure with the incident and assured to look into the issue. “I will conduct a thorough inquiry and go through the recordings. This shouldn't happen again or else strict action will be taken,” he said.

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that what has happened is not proper but condemned statements of Rahul. “On behalf of the ruling side, I assure that no such incident will happen in the future,” he said.

However, Fadnavis added: “How can we tolerate the continuous insults and venom by Rahul Gandhi towards our nation's great son Veer Savarkar? He has to stop doing such condemnable acts!.”

While raising the issue, Thorat said: “By stooping to such a low level, the ruling party will not be able to divert attention from important issues like losses incurred by the farmers due to unseasonal rains, inflation, and unemployment and will not even be able to cover the sin of betrayal with Maharashtra. The ruling party must also remember that we also have slippers and photos of your leaders. We have followed a dignified political culture in Maharashtra till now but the ruling party should not challenge us”.

According to Thorat, the manner in which Gandhi's photo was placed on the stairs and actions to beat the image with slippers was done was an antics unseen in so many years.

Thorat said leaders of the Shinde-Fadnavis alliance are constantly making controversial statements about great personalities like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Sant Tukaram, and Mahatma Phule. “By making such statements, they are continuously insulting the great men, but no action has been taken against him till date. Thorat also said that the work of bringing the politics in Maharashtra to a very low level has been going on for the past few years and this is a blot on the tradition of Maharashtra which has always shown direction of the country,” he said.