Mumbai, Mar 20 (PTI) The Maharashtra legislative council on Thursday saw heated exchanges as ruling alliance members raised the Disha Salian death controversy in the House to which Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders took a strong exception, leading to an adjournment.
Manisha Kayande (Shiv Sena) and Pravin Darekar (BJP) raised the issue through a point of information, a day after Satish Salian, father of Disha, former manager of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, said he had moved the Bombay High Court seeking a fresh probe into the circumstances under which she was found dead in June 2020.
The petition demanded registration of a First Information Report against Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and MLA Aaditya Thackeray.
Leader of Opposition in the upper house Ambadas Danve, who belongs to the Sena (UBT), objected to the raising of the issue in the House.
“It is a politically motivated case. The government can conduct inquiries and even set up another SIT, but same rules should apply to the suspicious death of Pooja Chavan,” he said, referring to the death of a young woman in Pune in 2021 that led to then Maha Vikas Aghadi minister Sanjay Rathod’s resignation. Rathod is a minister in the current BJP-led dispensation too.
Danve further alleged that the Council was being used to settle political scores. “Even a gram panchayat operates in a more organized manner,” he remarked.
Anil Parab, another Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, said a case against Aaditya Thackeray was going on for more than a year and a half. “The final hearing was scheduled for February 17, but it was postponed. The fresh petition filed by Disha’s father is a copy-paste petition. The matter is sub-judice, how can it even be discussed? The CBI has given a clean chit,” he said.
Parab also read out Kayande’s past tweet supporting Aaditya Thackeray, posted when she was with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT).
“Kayande supported Thackeray and later changed colours like a chameleon,” he said.
He also asked why the ruling alliance did not seek resignation of BJP MLA and minister Jaykumar Gore. He was apparently referring to allegations by a woman that Gore had sent her objectionable photographs. The minister earlier this month had denied the allegation and said he was already acquitted by the court.
Minister Dada Bhuse objected to Parab’s remarks, accusing him of using inappropriate language against a woman legislator (Kayande). “Such language cannot be used in the House,” Bhuse said.
The resultant uproar led to an adjournment, with both sides continuing to exchange sharp remarks after the house resumed. PTI ND KRK
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