MUMBAI: Despite expectations that six rebel Shiv Sena UBT MPs would switch over to Shiv Sena at the party's 60th foundation day event in Goregaon on Friday, they stayed away. However, Maharashtra deputy CM Eknath Shinde could not avoid the topic and issued a warning that more was in store. "This is just a trailer. Picture abhi baki hai. See what lies ahead," he said.
Shinde Mocks Opposition
Mocking Shiv Sena UBT and MP Sanjay Raut, who had spent the previous two days publicly attacking the rebel MPs, Shinde said: "Some dogs have been barking. They come in packs and bark. The tiger roams alone and he hunts and roars."
Legal Hurdles Cited
The six MPs reportedly stayed away due to potential legal hurdles that could arise from their presence on a Shiv Sena platform before the switchover. Their rebellion has been termed 'Op Tiger' by Shinde. Referring to Sena UBT's threat to counter with 'Op Tudva', Shinde said: "For Op Tudva, they will actually have to face us. I have conducted an operation without being a doctor."
Attack on Shiv Sena UBT
Shinde's 45-minute speech was largely an attack on Shiv Sena UBT. "They have no one left. They just have forks and spoons," he said, adding that there was now a "waiting list" to join his party. Shinde stated that the split in Shiv Sena four years ago had been a success. "From 40 MLAs we have now become 60," he said, reiterating that Sena UBT had abandoned Hindutva for power and allied with parties that Balasaheb Thackeray had criticized.
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