A member of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was arrested for reportedly shooting and hurting a leader from Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena due to a land disagreement in Thane, Maharashtra, according to officials on Saturday.
BJP’s Kalyan MLA Ganpat Gaikwad allegedly fired at Shiv Sena’s Kalyan chief, Mahesh Gaikwad, inside the senior inspector’s chamber at Hill Line police station in Ulhasnagar on Friday night, according to Additional Commissioner of Police Dattatrya Shinde.
According the media reports, Ganpat Gaikwad, before his arrest, claimed he used the firearm as his son was allegedly being assaulted at the police station. He accused Chief Minister Eknath Shinde of attempting to establish a “kingdom of criminals” in Maharashtra.
After being taken to a local hospital, Mahesh Gaikwad was later transferred to a private medical facility in Thane city. Gopal Landge, Sena’s Kalyan in-charge, mentioned that he underwent a successful surgery.
Additional CP Shinde reported that Ganpat Gaikwad’s son visited the police station to file a complaint about a land dispute. Mahesh Gaikwad and his associates arrived, followed by Ganpat Gaikwad. In the ensuing altercation, Ganpat Gaikwad allegedly fired shots inside the senior inspector’s chamber, injuring Mahesh Gaikwad and his associate.
Ganpat Gaikwad, in a conversation with a news channel, admitted to shooting and expressed no remorse. He justified his actions, stating that he took the extreme step as his son was being assaulted inside the police station. Gaikwad claimed to have fired five rounds and accused Chief Minister Eknath Shinde of attempting to establish a “kingdom of criminals” in Maharashtra.
BJP and Shinde-led Shiv Sena, part of Maharashtra’s ruling coalition, saw BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad’s arrest, along with two others, for charges including attempted murder and criminal conspiracy under IPC sections 307 and 120B. Gaikwad claimed self-defense, stating Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s leadership fosters criminality in Maharashtra. He accused Shinde of transforming him from a law-abiding citizen into a criminal.
The BJP MLA accused CM’s son, Kalyan MP Shrikant Shinde, of taking credit for his work and resorting to violence against his leaders. Gaikwad revealed his repeated warnings to seniors about these actions. Regarding the land dispute, he claimed to have legally won the matter in court after purchasing the plot ten years ago. However, Mahesh Gaikwad allegedly forcibly occupied the land.
The MLA mentioned his son went to Ulhasnagar’s police station to file a complaint about the land issue. Expressing no regrets, Ganpat Gaikwad asserted that as a father, he couldn’t tolerate harm to his child. He accused Shinde of betraying both Uddhav Thackeray and the BJP, alleging financial indebtedness to him. Gaikwad called for Shinde’s resignation, urging Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and PM Narendra Modi for intervention to ensure effective management in Maharashtra.