Thane: Tensions simmer in Mumbra after Shinde Sena demolishes shakha

The site of the demolished office and container set up by the Shinde Sena at Mumbra on Friday

The battle lines are drawn in Mumbra with an over-25-year-old shakha belonging to the Shiv Sena (UBT) being demolished by Eknath Shinde's faction earlier this week and a "hurt" Uddhav Thackeray giving out a battle cry and visiting Mumbra to take stock of the situation on Saturday afternoon. Allegations and counter-accusations fly with the Uddhav Sena saying that the party office was opened to serve the public by none other than the late Anand Dighe, who is deeply revered by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Shinde's faction claimed that the office had become a den of illegal activities and had to go. The office had been inaugurated in the 1990s and upgraded in 2001.

Posters welcoming Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray, who will visit the spot today

The evicted Sainiks of the Sena (UBT) are now sitting in a community organisation office opposite the demolished structure preparing for Thackeray's arrival, with the help of NCP leader Jitendra Awhad. The demolished office site is being heavily protected by police with the Shinde Sena faction putting up boards promising the redevelopment of the shakha. A make-shift container office has been put there with a banner that reads "upgraded office soon". On Friday evening, when mid-day visited the site, the police were unloading more barricades and deploying vehicles in preparation for Saturday.

Differing views

"It is ironic that those who take vows in the name of our honourable Anand Dighe demolished the central Shiv Sena office, whose foundation stone was laid by him," said 69-year-old Vijay Kadam, head of the Shiv Sena office. Former corporator Rajan Kini of the Eknath Shinde faction said, "The old office had become a business house with its rooms illegally rented out for a service centre and a garage.

The office had been opened for public service and it was not serving its purpose. Hence, it was demolished. The original Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has taken over the old shakha, demolished it and we will rebuild and upgrade it with a better and bigger office." "I was sitting inside the building and doing work, when I was asked to evacuate and the office which was my home for the past 22 years was reduced to dust in front of my eyes with a bulldozer," said nostalgic Kadam, who was sitting with printouts of photographs of the old office.

‘Why sudden action?'

Sadanand Tharwal, district president of Shiv Sena (UBT) Kalyan Lok Sabha constituency, said, "It is in the official government records that Vijay Kadam ji has been paying the property tax of the building for the past 22 years. How can it suddenly be illegal? The service centre, garage, etc, have been there since the time the Shiv Sena was united. Action should have been taken when the MVA government was in power. Why the sudden discovery?"

"Action has been taken now as there is a deeper political conspiracy at play," he added. Banners to welcome Thackeray dotted the roads on Friday and members were working on various permissions to get the event organised. Will there be violence on Saturday? "No, why should there be violence? We are just claiming what was ours. It is a fight for our rights. Our leader Uddhav ji will come and address us from this spot and we shall follow his guidelines," Kadam said.

2001
Year office was upgraded