Mumbai, March 18: Barely three months ago, the Shiv Sena had boycotted a press conference by the leader of opposition, Eknath Khadse of the BJP, for involving the MNS in it. So, it came as a surprise when the Sena said on Wednesday that it will back the BJP’s efforts to get the suspension of four MNS MLAs revoked.
Shishir Shinde, Ram Kadam, Vasant Gite and Ramesh Wanjle were suspended for four years after they attacked Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi for taking oath in Hindi in November last year.
Khadse said that the BJP will try to get the four MNS MLAs back in the house. “I do not support the act of the MNS MLAs. They have been punished for their act. But the punishment is too severe,” he said.
Asked whether the Sena, too, felt the same way as Khadse, Subhash Desai said, “I support Khadse. Why Abu Azmi was spared punishment? The government should bring a proposal to take action against him,” he said.
MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar was not allowed to speak at the press conference. He later said that he did not speak as he did not want to widen the rift between the BJP and the Sena.
–Agencies–