Navi Mumbai: Escalating the feud between his father, deputy CM Eknath Shinde, and forest minister Ganesh Naik from BJP, Kalyan Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde attacked the latter on Monday, calling him a local leader known only in Navi Mumbai who is incapable of handling his cabinet portfolio. Naik’s camp reacted strongly, saying Shrikant should look at an “internal dispute” in his party in Navi Mumbai since 10 of its 42 corporators were absent at a felicitation event in Airoli where he spoke.Shrikant said his father was a state leader who rose from scratch to become the CM. He said Naik remained restricted to Navi Mumbai, adding that he had faced several poll defeats and switched political loyalties. Mocking Naik for claiming he would finish Shiv Sena, he said the forest minister had failed to control even human-leopard conflict. Naik had earlier warned the MP to watch his words at public events. —B B Nayak
