Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday sparked alarm over potential violence as he announced a joint squad of workers from the Uddhav Thackeray-led party and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena tasked with 'thrashing' dual and bogus voters on the polling day for civic polls on January 15.
Raut's threat followed up the public appeal made by MNS president Raj Thackeray while campaigning for elections to Mumbai and other civic bodies.
The MNS and Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena-UBT have allied to safeguard the Mumbai citadel amid the expanding footprints of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
"We (Shiv Sena-UBT and MNS) have formed a squad, which will be in action from 7 am (on Jan 15). Once the squad gets informed about dual voter region-wise, the joint team will handle such voters appropriately," the Shiv Sena-UBT leader told reporters in Mumbai.
Raut's warning comes against the backdrop of high-decibel campaigning for the elections to 29 civic bodies, marked by sharp exchanges between the BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on one side, and the Sena (UBT)-MNS combine in the Mumbai metropolitan region.
The Opposition had raised the issue of bogus and dual voters aggressively with the State Election Commission and called for correcting the alleged discrepancies in the electoral rolls.
When asked about the potential legal consequences of physically assaulting individuals by dubbing them dual voters, Raut argued that thrashing those who do not fit in the law does not amount to creating a law and order situation.
"Does bogus voting fit in the definition of law and order?" Raut asked.
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