From left: Neelam Gorhe, Eknath Shinde, Uddhav Thackeray
Credit: PTIphoto
Mumbai: Shiv Sena leader Neelam Gorhe slammed Shiv Sena (UBT) head and former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray saying that under him “two Mercedes means one post”.
Gorhe said that appointments within the Shiv Sena (UBT) party were given only to those who were able to achieve it via monetary means.
She went further and made a comment regarding the gifting of Mercedes cars to attain certain posts.
Gorhe also praised the now Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who had raised a banner to revolt against Thackeray in June 2022.
Dr Gorhe joined Shinde in July 2023.
The 70-year-old Gorhe, who founded the Stree Aadhar Kendra, is a four-time Shiv Sena MLC.
“If you gave two Mercedes you would get one post,” Gorhe said at the 98th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan in Delhi during a chat hosted by a Marathi television news channel.
Hours after the statement, the Shiv Sena (UBT) workers carried out a protest against Gorhe outside her Pune residence.
The group of women also brought a toy Mercedes car to “present” it to Gorhe.
“It was Balasaheb Thackeray who made her what she is today. How can she speak like that? Where did her money come from? Who made her the Deputy Chairperson?” the protestors said, adding that she should give proof of the Mercedes that she had given to Thackeray.
“I don’t want to respond to gaya guzare log (good-for nothing people). I don’t take cognisance,” said Thackeray in his brief reaction.
However, Sanjay Raut hit out at her saying, “She should come with proof. She has been an MLC four times, let her come with the receipts,” he said.
Later, Gorhe clarified that she herself has not given any money to anyone. “This is a general observation and such incidents happen,” she said but refused to name anyone.
Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Council Ambadas Danve too hit out at Dr Gorhe. “She has no understanding of party dynamics and was someone who only filled forms for four terms (and got elected).
My party has never asked me for a single rupee. I rose from being an ordinary worker in the rural areas to Leader of Opposition. If what she claims was true, then there would have been a line of Mercedes vehicles at Matoshree,” he said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Kishori Pednekar and Sushma Andhare too lashed out at Gorhe. “If she claims corruption exists, she should account for her own earnings during her tenure. Gorhe must disclose how much she had profited from her long association with the party,” said Andhare.
“She should give proof of the Mercedes she has given,” added Pednekar, a former Mayor.