Maharashtra: Shiv Sena workers protest against party rebels; say 'traitors' won't be forgiven
Mumbai/Pune(PTI): Amid the ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra following a rebellion by senior Shiv Sena minister Eknath Shinde and others, the loyalists of party president and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray took out a two-wheeler rally in Mumbai and held protests in parts of Pune against the dissident leaders on Sunday.
Sena workers and its local functionaries, led by the Pune city unit president Gajanan Tharkude, staged 'jode maro' (hit with footwear) protests at two places - outside Balgandharva auditorium and in Kothrud - and raised slogans against the rebels.
The party workers were seen hitting Shinde's photo with footwear.
"These protests are meant to put out a message that Shiv Sainiks will not forgive the traitors," Tharkude said.
Party corporators, local office-bearers and workers took part in the agitations, he said, adding that a two-wheeler rally was also organised in support of Thackeray.
On Saturday, Sena workers, led by corporator Vishal Dhanwade, had vandalised the office of rebel MLA Tanaji Sawant in Katraj area for "betryaing" CM Thackeray.
Meanwhile, in Mumbai, a large number of party workers, including women, assembled outside the office of 'Saamana', Shiv Sena's mouthpiece, at Prabhadevi and took out a two-wheeler rally raising slogans against Shinde and rebel MLAs.
A Sena supporter, who took part in the rally, said, "Hindutva is with Uddhav Thackeray. If rebel MLAs have to say anything, then they should come to Mumbai instead of sitting in Guwahati."
"Shiv Sena belongs to Balasaheb Thackeray. Nobody else can stake claim to it. We are here to support Uddhav Thackeray," another party worker said.
In view of the rally, the Mumbai police tightened security in the area, an official said.
Meanwhile, a signboard carrying the name of Byculla MLA Yamini Jadhav, who is one of the party rebels, was found blackened. The board is positioned under the Byculla bridge, a police official said.
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‘Bulldozer Justice’ is like bulldozing the Constitution: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
New Delhi: Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has strongly criticised the practice of demolishing the properties of individuals accused of crimes, equating it to bulldozing the Constitution and undermining the rule of law.
Speaking at the 13th Justice PN Bhagwati International Moot Court Competition on Human Rights at Bharati Vidyapeeth New Law College in Pune, Justice Bhuyan described the trend as "disturbing" and "depressing." He questioned the justification of such actions, often defended as targeting illegal structures, and highlighted their impact on the families of the accused.
"Using a bulldozer to demolish a property is like running a bulldozer over the Constitution. It is a negation of the very concept of the rule of law and, if not checked, would destroy the very edifice of our justice delivery system," he said, as quoted by Bar and Bench.
The practice of ‘bulldozer justice’ gained prominence in Uttar Pradesh under the Yogi Adityanath government in 2017 and has since been adopted in other states. The Supreme Court had previously deemed this approach unacceptable under the rule of law.
Justice Bhuyan emphasised that demolitions impact not just the accused but their families as well. "In that house, his mother stays there, his sister stays there, his wife stays there, his children stay there. What is their fault?" he asked. He further questioned whether it was justifiable to render an accused or even a convicted person homeless through such measures.
On the same day, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, responding to queries about the recent violence in Nagpur, indicated that the government might consider similar measures. "The Maharashtra government has its own style of working… bulldozer will roll when necessary," he said.
Violence erupted in central Nagpur following rumours that a sacred text was burnt during an agitation by a right-wing group demanding the removal of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.
Justice Bhuyan, who was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2023 after serving as Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court, reiterated the importance of upholding due process and warned against actions that undermine constitutional principles.
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