A video of a dramatic incident involving Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde?s convoy being obstructed by a protester calling him a ?gaddar? (traitor) has taken social media by storm. The incident, captured on video, occurred in the Saki Naka area of the Chandivali assembly constituency, right outside the office of Congress candidate and former minister Naseem Khan.
In the video, Santosh Katke, a local resident, is seen waving black flags and shouting ?Shinde gaddar? as the CM?s convoy approached. His actions prompted Shinde to halt his convoy and step out, visibly agitated. Shinde then walked into the Congress office, where he confronted staff and asked, ?Do you teach your party workers such things??
Katke, who was briefly detained by the police following the incident, told reporters that his actions stemmed from pent-up anger. ?I couldn?t control myself after seeing the CM,? he admitted. Later, Shiv Sena (UBT) activists took Katke to ?Matoshree,? where he was felicitated by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, and both Katke and his father, who is active in the Ramdas Athawale-led Republican Party of India (RPI), were inducted into the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction.
The incident has ignited further political friction. In response, RPI (A) leaders have expressed outrage and announced plans for a protest, demanding action against Katke for publicly confronting the chief minister.
This episode is the latest in a series of controversies stemming from the political turmoil that began in June 2022, when Shinde led a rebellion that ultimately collapsed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, which was formed by the Shiv Sena (UBT), the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and the Congress. Shinde?s break from the Shiv Sena and his alignment with the BJP led to his designation as ?gaddar? among the Thackeray-led faction?s supporters.
The term ?gaddar? has gained a symbolic weight in Maharashtra politics since the split. Earlier this year, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi further fueled the sentiment with her ?Mera Baap Gaddar Hai? remark, directed at Shinde and his son, Shrikant, claiming that the ?traitor? label would haunt Shinde?s legacy and his family for generations.
The Saki Naka confrontation illustrates the intensifying divisions within Maharashtra's political landscape, with both sides keenly aware of the lasting impact of the ?gaddar? narrative on voter sentiment as the state heads into pivotal elections.
