Maharashtra BJP legislator Ganpat Gaikwad, who shot and injured Shiv Sena (Shinde) faction leader Mahesh Gaikwad over a land dispute inside a police station in Maharashtra’s Ulhasnagar on Friday night, said his move came in self-defence and he had “no regrets” as they were beating his son inside the police station.
“Yes, I shot (him) myself. I have no regrets. If my son is being beaten in front of the police inside the police station, what will I do,” he said.
The shooting took place inside the cabin of senior police personnel at the Hill Line police station where the two politicians and their supporters had gathered to file a complaint over a long-standing land dispute.
The two politicians were indulged in a conversation in the hall of senior inspector Anil Jagtap of Hill Line Police station when a clash broke out between their supporters.
Following the ruckus, an argument ensued between the two and BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad shot four rounds of bullets at Mahesh Gaikwad. Shiv Sena MLA Rahul Patil also got injured in the incident.
The arrested BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad was taken out of the police station for a medical examination on Saturday. He will be produced before the court later in the day. Besides Ganpat Gaikwad, the police have also arrested two others. They have been booked under Indian Penal Code sections, including 307 (attempt to murder) and 120B (criminal conspiracy).
WHO IS GANPAT GAIKWAD
According to a report by Hindustan Times, Ganpat Gaikwad is a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA representing the Kalyan (East) constituency in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.
He has emerged victorious in this constituency three times consecutively—first as an independent candidate in 2009 and 2014 and later securing a BJP ticket in 2019. His 2019 assembly election affidavit reveals that Ganpat Gaikwad faces 18 pending criminal cases.
OPPOSITION DEMANDS SHINDE’S RESIGNATION
The opposition in Maharashtra on Saturday demanded Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s resignation after the BJP MLA opened fire at a Shiv Sena leader over a land dispute in Thane district. BJP and Shinde-led Sena are ruling partners in the state. The Congress claimed that the incident pointed to a law and order breakdown in the state, while the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) said Shinde was responsible for it. NCP president Sharad Pawar termed it worrisome and said there is a limit to the “misuse” of power.
Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis told the media that he has ordered a high-level probe into the firing incident, while his peer Ajit Pawar said it was wrong for elected representatives to take the law into their own hands.
Talking to the news channel ‘Zee24taas’ over the phone before his arrest, Ganpat Gaikwad alleged that CM Shinde was trying to establish a “kingdom of criminals in Maharashtra. Former chief minister Ashok Chavan called the shooting extremely serious and worrisome.
The incident at the Hill Line police station in Ulhasnagar is not only a challenge to law and order but also puts a question mark on the trustworthiness and responsibility of the state government to deliver justice, Chavan said in a post on his X handle.
Leader of opposition in the state assembly Vijay Wadettiwar attributed the firing to arrogance of power and vendetta politics and accused Shinde of encouraging mob culture in the state. There is a law and order breakdown, he said.
Wadettiwar said Shinde betrayed Uddhav Thackeray and will do the same with BJP. Ganpat Gaikwad’s statement that Shinde’s son is indulging in corruption and nothing happened despite complaining to Devendra Fadnavis and senior BJP leaders is shocking. It shows the true colours of Maha Yuti’ (ruling coalition). As elections draw close, their internal strife will also grow, he claimed. State Congress President Nana Patole said the allegations made by the BJP MLA against the CM are serious and he should resign immediately.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut held the CM responsible for the shooting incident, claiming that the government in Maharashtra has been formed through mobocracy and gundagiri. The incident has occurred in CM’s district and he is responsible for it. Gaikwad has blamed Eknath Shinde, Raut told reporters.
(With PTI inputs)
Comments
0 comment