Thane: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Saturday slammed Deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena for reaching out to the family of slain party functionary Pradeep Purnekar nearly 18 days after his death.Raut was in Thane late Saturday to attend a religious event.“Just as water is scarce in major parts of the state, there seems to be a lack of law and order in Thane. Shiv Sainiks are being targeted while law (enforcers) remain asleep,” Raut said, adding that he had prayed to the Goddess for an end to both the drought in the state and lawlessness in Thane at the earliest.Following Cabinet minister Pratap Sarnaik’s Saturday afternoon visit to the Purnekar family, Raut hit back at the Shinde Sena leaders who had earlier questioned if the sudden visits by UBT leaders from Mumbai were to derive political mileage from Purnekar’s death.“They are visiting the family after 18 days. They are heartless. If they have a problem with our visits, it is not our concern. We will continue to come here because we have lost our functionary, who was brutally attacked with choppers and bullets,” he said, demanding the immediate arrest of former Thane mayor Meenakshi Shinde and her husband, Rajendra, whom the Purnekars accused of masterminding the killing.Meanwhile, Purnekar’s son, Ram, reiterated his demand for action against the Shinde couple during his phone conversation with Eknath Shinde where he referred to a reel reportedly filmed by his father months before his death, where he mentioned the couple.In a separate development, Purnekar’s niece claimed on Saturday that she had received a threatening message on a social networking app warning that she could be the next target. The family said the sender later deleted the message but they now planned to approach the police.Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis late Friday had assured the family on Friday night that justice would be delivered in the case.
