Nueva Delhi: Maharashtra’s vice minister, Eknath Shinde, once again sent a strong message to his political opponents and allies equally, warning them not to underestimate him. Reflecting on his political trip and the 2022 rebellion that remodeled the leadership of the state, Shinde said he is not a party worker but a disciple of the founder of Shiv Sena, Balasaheb Thakeray, and his mentor Anand Dighe.
“I have also said this before, those who led me lightly … I am a worker, but a Balasaheb and Dighe Saheb worker, so everyone should treat me that way,” Shinde told journalists. “When they took me lightly, I revoked the Government in 2022 and brought to the government of the election of the people.”
Shinde’s rebellion had led to a vertical division in the SHIV Sena, with most of the MLA on his side, which finally resulted in the collapse of the Uddhav Thakeray government. His alliance with Devendra Fadnavis of BJP assured them a dominant position in the state, a feat to which he was proud. “At that time, I had said in my first speech in the Assembly that I and Devendra Fadnavis will win more than 200 seats, and we obtained 232 seats,” he said. “Then, ‘Don’t take me lightly’, those who need to understand this signal should understand it.”
Your comments arrive after receiving a threat of death by email on Friday. The supposedly threatened sender threatened to detonate a bomb in Shinde’s car. Similar threats were also received in Mantalaya and the JJ Marg police station, which caused an investigation.
When heading to the media, Shinde recalled the past threats he had faced, particularly during repression against dance bars. “There were threats to kill me, and attempts were made, but I wasn’t afraid. The Naxalites had also threatened me, but I didn’t give up,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mumbai police arrested two suspects, Mangesh Achyutrao Wayal (35) and Abhay Gajanan Shingane (22), from Buldhana in relation to the threat email. The investigations are ongoing to determine the reason behind the threat.
