A day after suspected Shiv Sena workers pelted stones during a meeting organised by Congress, former Congress MP Priya Dutt met Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray at the latter’s residence on Sunday.
A day after suspected Shiv Sena workers pelted stones during a meeting organised by Congress, former Congress MP Priya Dutt met Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray at the latter’s residence on Sunday.
The meeting sparked a speculation in political circles, as the Congress Mumbai president has been targeting Shiv Sena and had also submitted a written complaint to the Azad Maidan police station on Saturday regarding corruption in the BMC. However, Ms Dutt tried to downplay the purpose and outcome of the meeting and said that it was personal.
She arrived at Matoshree in the afternoon and the meeting lasted for about 30 minutes, a source said. The meeting comes in the backdrop of last night’s event in which a group of workers, allegedly belonging to the Sena, pelted stones at a public gathering organised by Congress, where the Mumbai unit chief of the party Sanjay Nirupam was also present. Mr Nirupam had organised the conclave in suburban Kandivali to highlight alleged corruption in Shiv Sena-BJP-ruled Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) as part of Congress’ “pol khol” (expose) campaign ahead of next year’s municipal elections.
Ms Dutt, however, claimed she did not discuss anything political with Mr Thackeray. “There was nothing political in our meeting. I met him owing to our personal relation,” the former MP said. Sources close to Ms Dutt said that she paid a courtesy visit after the Sena chief was admitted to Lilavati Hospital last week owing to his routine check-up.
When asked about the meeting, Mr Nirupam said he had no knowledge of it. “I was not aware about the meeting though Ms Dutt has every right to meet anyone in a personal capacity. Still, I will speak to her on the issue.”
Political observers think that in the coming days Congress-Shiv Sena fight may turn ugly in the wake of the pol khol campaign. Opposition Congress has been targeting the saffron party by repeatedly referring to BJP Lok Sabha MP Kirit Somaiya’s remark about prevailing corruption in the country’s richest civic body.
Last week, Mr Somaiya had said, “There is widespread corruption in the BMC and it is in the grip of a powerful mafia controlled by a saheb from Bandra, his brother-in-law and his PA.” Latching on to the remark, the Mumbai Congress filed a police complaint demanding registration of an FIR against the unnamed persons, including the ‘saheb from Bandra’, over alleged graft in the civic body.
