‘I Was Kidnapped,' Says Shiv Sena MLA Nitin Deshmukh Amid Turmoil in Maharashtra

Deshmukh expressed support for Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray at a time of political rebellion in the state.

Shiv Sena MLA Nitin Deshmukh

(Photo: Screenshot of the video)

Amid the ongoing political turmoil in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena MLA Nitin Deshmukh, who was presumed to have sided with the rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, reappeared on Wednesday, 22 June, claiming that he was abducted and taken to Gujarat's Surat.

Voicing his support for Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, he said, "I am Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sainik. I am going home."

According to PTI, the minister claimed that he was forcibly admitted to a hospital in Nagpur where he was administered injections even though he never suffered a heart attack.

Speaking about how he escaped, Deshmukh said, "I left the hotel at 12, and was standing on the road. There were 100-200 policemen behind me. Later, they took me to a hospital and acted as if I have suffered an attack.”

"They wanted to operate on me, harm me under that pretext. By God's grace, I'm alright. I am with Uddhav Thackeray," ANI quoted Deshmukh as saying.

This comes two days after Deshmukh's wife, Pranjali, had filed a missing complaint at the Akola Police Station, suspecting a threat to his life.

In her complaint, Pranjali had submitted that she had last spoken to her husband on a phone call at 7 pm on Monday, 20 June.

The Political Crisis In Maharashtra

This development comes after a rebellion broke out in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra. Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde on Wednesday, claimed that he had the support of 46 MLAs and said that he has not held any talks with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) so far.

Shinde also said that the rebel MLAs will continue to be "Bal Thackeray's followers and Shiv Sainiks."

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said that the ongoing political developments in Maharashtra could lead to the dissolution of the Legislative Assembly.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray held a meeting with the state Cabinet, following which the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) pledged support to the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, senior Congress leader Kamal Nath said.

Shinde and other rebel MLAs had been moved from Surat to a hotel in Guwahati in the wee hours of Wednesday.

Shinde has demanded the Shiv Sena chief to ally again with the BJP in order to carry Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva movement forward.