Defamation threat, 'namak haram' barb as Shiv Sena leader's claim on Bal Thackeray's death ignites row

Mumbai/Pune, Oct 4 (PTI) The political slugfest between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena intensified on Saturday, days after senior Sena leader Ramdas Kadam made sensational claims about Bal Thackeray’s death during the Dussehra rally.

Kadam alleged that the Shiv Sena patriarch’s body was kept at Matoshree—the Thackeray family residence in Bandra—for two days before his death was formally announced in 2012. He also claimed that the Sena founder's fingerprints were taken after his death.

Bal Thackeray passed away on November 17, 2012, at the age of 86.

The controversy quickly snowballed, sparking sharp exchanges between leaders from both Sena factions.

Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray dismissed Kadam as a “gaddar” (traitor) and “namak haram” (disloyal person).

“I do not want to respond to gaddars and namak harams,” Thackeray said when asked to comment on Kadam’s remarks.

At a press conference, senior Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab announced plans to file a defamation suit (against Kadam) for making false claims about their “deity,” Bal Thackeray. He added that any compensation awarded through damages would be donated to rain-hit farmers.

In response, Kadam said he would seek a CBI probe into the matter and write to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

"The intention is to poison people’s minds against Uddhav Thackeray. The Shiv Sena (led by Deputy CM Eknath Shinde) knows it cannot win the BMC polls. The charges made by Ramdas Kadam are aimed at deflecting attention from the issues currently facing Maharashtra," Parab said.

He also demanded that narco tests be conducted to verify Kadam’s claims and to investigate the circumstances surrounding the burning of Kadam’s wife in 1993.

Kadam clarified that his wife was burned in Khed while cooking on a stove, and that he sustained injuries while trying to save her. He said he would file a defamation suit against Parab for making baseless claims about his wife.

Parab questioned why Kadam had agreed to serve as a minister in the undivided Shiv Sena under the Devendra Fadnavis-led government from 2014 to 2019 if he believed Uddhav Thackeray was a bad person.

"When did Shiv Sena Pramukh Bal Thackeray die? Why was his body kept at Matoshree for two days? I slept on a bench at Matoshree for eight days while Bal Thackeray was seriously ill,” Kadam had said during the Shiv Sena’s Dussehra rally on Thursday.

Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said Kadam was never a trustworthy person, even when he was part of the undivided Shiv Sena.

"Uddhav Thackeray got him elected to the legislative council twice. What contributions have Neelam Gorhe and Kadam made to the party? They should be grateful to Uddhav Thackeray," the Rajya Sabha MP said.

Responding to Kadam’s claim that Bal Thackeray’s fingerprints were taken after his death, Raut said the allegations reflect how low a person can stoop for position and money.

Kadam’s son currently serves as Minister of State for Home in the Devendra Fadnavis-led Mahayuti government.

"I was present during Balasaheb’s final moments. Kadam’s claim is an example of how low a person can stoop for position and money. Those who have left the party can never remain loyal to Balasaheb or truly consider him their guiding figure,” Raut added. PTI PR COR SPK ARU NSK