Aaditya Thackeray accuses Shinde of shielding ex-Thane mayor in Purnekar murder case

Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday levelled a serious allegation against Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Thackeray said Shinde is trying to protect former Thane mayor Meenakshi Shinde in the murder case of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Pradip Purnekar.

According to Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders, the police have so far arrested only the contract killers. The leaders claimed that the alleged conspiracy will not be fully unravelled until Meenakshi Shinde and Rajendra Shinde are arrested.

Thackeray said, "Our demand is that the main accused, the person involved in the conspiracy, be arrested at the earliest. We do not understand why she is being protected. When we met the Police Commissioner, we got the sense that the police are convinced about who the main accused is."

Thackeray was accompanied by Purnekar's son Ram, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut and other Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders from Thane. After meeting the Thane Police Commissioner, they addressed the media. Earlier, Thackeray visited Purnekar's home and met the wife of the slain leader.

Thackeray said the party had given the police CCTV footage as evidence, yet no one has been arrested. "What are you waiting for, and why? This is a political murder and the CCTV footage is available. Why are the mastermind and the conspirators not being arrested? Why is Eknath Shinde so desperate to protect the accused and those involved in the conspiracy?" he asked.

Thackeray also criticised Eknath Shinde, the Deputy Chief Minister and Thane's guardian minister, over the detention of Ram Purnekar. Ram is said to have gone to meet Shinde to demand action in his father's murder.

Thackeray said, "We had come to Thane only to meet the Purnekar family and the Police Commissioner. But the local MP hurled abuses and made a childish attempt to threaten us. Instead of coming before us, leaders of Shinde's Sena sat protesting somewhere else."

Thackeray also targeted Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis, alleging that he has failed to deliver justice to the Purnekar family. "Instead of stopping all this, the Home Minister is busy breaking parties, cutting trees and selling the Sahyadri mountain ranges," he said.

Sanjay Raut also criticised Fadnavis over law and order. Raut said Maharashtra had never had such a weak Home Minister.

Raut said, "To those who dared us to come to Thane, I want to say that we are here, and we are ready to wait until you come before us. Do not boast just because you are in power; it does not last forever. In this case, Meenakshi and Rajendra Shinde are the main accused, and people are taking to the streets to save the killers." Raut also said the police will have to arrest both Meenakshi and Rajendra Shinde.