Op Tiger-affected Sena UBT warns of ‘op beat them up’

Mumbai: Shiv Sena UBT on Thursday threatened to harm its six Lok Sabha MPs who have formed a separate group and expressed their wish to join Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Sena UBT said it would “beat the traitors up” wherever they are. Sena UBT, however, is also taking stock of party MLAs. All eyes are on the legislative party meeting called by Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai on June 22.

Sena UBT has 20 MLAs in the Maharashtra assembly. Even though Thackeray is slated to meet the MLAs four days later, he has already called up some of the MLAs to check on them.

Read more: Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs Sanjay Raut, Anil Desai & Arvind Sawant meet Om Birla amid defection buzz, submit letter

Thackeray’s fears are not unfounded. Shahaji Bapu Patil, a former Shiv Sena MLA, on Thursday said Sena UBT MLAs were also ripe for switching. “First, it was MPs. After that, their MLAs would start joining us in the coming days. Their MLAs are restless as they are not able to develop their constituencies,” Patil said.

Also read: Shiv Sena (UBT) split row deepens as Sanjay Raut alleges Maharashtra MPs offered Rs 50 crore each to switch sides

Sena UBT is now threatening violence to deter the ‘traitors’. “Now, we are going to start ‘operation beat them up’. I am saying this on record, we are not afraid of going to jail. We will not tolerate these untrustworthy people again. We will create a ruckus. We will not let them go scot-free,” Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut threatened.
Following threats, all the six MPs who have switched over to Shiv Sena have received police protection. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena has threatened to give it back if they are attacked. “Who are you threatening? If they have the courage, then they should come and attack us. Then, we will tear you apart,” said Naresh Mhaske, Shiv Sena Lok Sabha MP from Thane.