Shiv Sena workers damage Pune office of rebel MLA; say 'traitors' will be targeted

Shiv Sena workers on Saturday vandalised an office of rebel Shiv Sena MLA Tanaji Sawant, who is currently camping with other dissidents led by Eknath Shinde in Guwahati.

A group of Sena workers barged into the office of Bhairavnath Sugar Works, which belongs to Sawant, and damaged the office located in the Katraj area in the morning, party corporator Vishal Dhanawade, who was part of the action, said.

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"The ransacking of Sawant's office is just the beginning and the offices of every traitor (rebel MLA) will be destroyed in the coming days," he said. Reacting to the incident, Sawant, who represents the Paranda assembly constituency in the Osmanabad district, warned of a "tit for tat" response once the political crisis is resolved.

"We are patient due to orders from our leader Eknath Shinde. We will tit for tat reply once this political issue is resolved. It is my humble request to (vandals) to stay within their limits," he said in a Facebook post in Marathi. Talking about the incident, DCP Sagar Patil said, "Sawant's sugar factory office was attacked between 10.30 am and 11 am. We are registering a case in this connection and instructions to take further action have been given to the local police officials."

The majority of Shiv Sena MLAs have shifted their loyalty to Eknath Shinde and are camping in Guwahati, plunging the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who heads the Sena, into a crisis.