'Uddhav ji gave you…': Nitin Deshmukh who was ‘kidnapped’ appeals to Eknath Shinde

BySwapnil Rawal | Edited by Poulomi Ghosh

Jun 23, 2022 02:54 PM IST

Share Via

Copy Link

Shiv Sena MLA Kailash Patil who returned to Mumbai from the Maharashtra-Gujarat border said many MLAs currently in the Eknath Shinde camp want to return.

A day after reaching Maharashtra from Guwahati, Shiv Sena leader Nitin Deshmukh who claimed to have been kidnapped by the rebel camp of Eknath Shinde made an appeal to Shinde to not fall prey to the conspiracy BJP is hatching through him against Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. "Balasaheb Thackeray, Uddhav ji and Shiv Sena gave you all everything," Nitin Deshmukh said. Also Read: Shinde shares MLA letter on grievances after Uddhav address: 'The sentiment...'

Nitin Deshmukh reached Maharashtra on Wednesday from Guwahati where the rebel MLAs under the leadership of Eknath Shinde are camping.

The Shiv Sena held a press meet on Thursday as the political crisis shows no sign of abatement with more MLAs turning into rebels. At the press meet, Sena MP Sanjay Raut said if the rebel MLAs want Shiv Sena to pull out of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, then they should come back within 24 hours and make an official representation to the Shiv Sena chief. "We will discuss it but show the courage to come back to Mumbai," Sanjay Raut said.

Follow LIVE updates of Maharashtra political turmoil

MLA Kailash Patil who also returned from the rebel camp said many MLAs want to return to Mumbai.

Recounting the ‘kidnap’ drama in Surat, Nitin Deshmukh said on the way to Gujarat it became clear to him that there was a plot against the Uddhav Thackeray government. "Upon reaching Surat, I told Shinde that I did not want to remain there. Between 12 midnight and 3am, I walked on the highway speaking to senior leaders in Mumbai," Deshmukh said.

It was on the road where he was walking that Nitin Deshmukh was forcibly dragged by some policemen and taken to a hospital. "I did not have any medical issue. 20-30 policemen grabbed me and in the hospital, I was given an injection," Deshmukh said.

The Maharashtra crisis escalated on Thursday with more Shiv Sena MLAs joining the rebel camp. Eknath Shinde on Thursday shared a letter by Sanjay Shirsat, the Aurangabad MLA, in which Sanjay said MLAs could not even meet Uddhav Thackeray in the last two years, because of Uddhav's inner coterie. "Only Shinde heard us out and took steps to resolve all the problems. The party MLAs persuaded Shinde to take this step (of revolt) for the rights of all the legislators," Shirsat said in the letter.