New Delhi: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday directed the state police to take strict action against those involved in the ‘attack’ at NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s residence in Mumbai.
A statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office quoted Thackeray as saying, “I have asked the Home Minister to take strict action against the perpetrators and conspirators of the attack. No one should take law into their own hands after this incident.” “
Earlier in the day, a group of striking employees of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) staged a violent protest outside the NCP chief’s house while he was at home.
Condemning the incident, Thackeray said there was no such instance in Maharashtra where political leaders and their families were personally targeted.
The Chief Minister also said that the government has never ignored the genuine demands of the striking workers, with the Bombay High Court asking them to resume work.
Meanwhile, Pawar blamed the “mindless leadership” for the sudden protest by the striking employees of MSRTC.
Read | Striking MSRTC employees protest outside Sharad Pawar’s house in Mumbai, FIR against 107
“They are being misled. ST employees and we have a very old relationship, in the last 40-50 years I have not missed any session with them. This time the protest was shown the wrong way and the result is today’s incident,” news agency ANI quoted Pawar as saying.
They are being misled. ST employees and we have a very old relationship, in the last 40-50 years I have not missed any session with them. This time the protest was shown the wrong way and the result is today’s incident: NCP chief Sharad Pawar on MSRTC protest outside his house
(file photo) pic.twitter.com/u92DfTEeYk
— ANI (@ANI) 8 April 2022
In a video shared by his party, Pawar said the NCP is with the agitating employees but not with their leadership.
“No one needs to be surprised by what happened here,” he said. If the leader is not intelligent, it affects the workers. We have seen an example of this here,” Pawar said, adding, “We are with them (workers). But not with the wrong leadership. If someone is showing them the wrong path, it is our responsibility to oppose them.”
He further said that differences have been seen in Maharashtra politics but the state has never seen a tradition of taking such extreme positions.
Despite trying to solve their problems over the past few days, “this time, a wrong path was shown and its results were visible here,” Pawar said.
He also said that what was conveyed to the employees through protests in the last few days is not in line with Maharashtra.
The NCP chief said, “MSRTC employees have stopped working without any reason, causing financial problems to their families.” Unfortunately, some people had to take the extreme step of suicide. The leadership, which creates a conducive environment for such extreme measures, is responsible for the suicides.”