The wife of Shiv Sena MLA Nitin Deshmukh has filed a missing complaint with the local police station, following Maharashtra minister and prominent Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde apparently travelling to Meridian hotel in Surat, BJP-ruled Gujarat, with 21 other party MLAs. She believes he is in danger.
MLA Nitin Deshmukh represents Maharashtra's Balapur Assembly constituency and was one of the MLAs who travelled to Surat, Gujarat, alongside Mr Shinde.
Mr Deshmukh's wife, Pranjali, filed a written complaint with the Akola police station, claiming that she last spoke to her husband on the phone at 7 p.m. on June 20 and that she hasn't been able to contact him since since his phone has been shut off.
She has stated that she believes Mr Deshmukh's life is under danger.
Mr Deshmukh was reportedly taken to a Surat hospital after claiming to be sick.
Mr Shinde, who is said to be unhappy and "unreachable," sparked a political storm in Maharashtra after reports that he was considering joining the BJP. According to sources, there are 22 Sena MLAs at the hotel, five of them are ministers, as well as an Independent MLA. Uddhav Thackeray has called an emergency meeting at his home, with at least 35 Sena MLAs in attendance, according to Sena sources.
Sanjay Raut, a Shiv Sena MP, accused the BJP of plotting to destabilise the Uddhav Thackeray government in the "same pattern as Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan." "Shiv Sena is a loyalist party. We're not going to let that happen "he stated
Mr Raut stated that Eknath Shinde is not in Mumbai, but claimed that communication with him has been established.
Mr Raut claimed that the BJP was attempting to undermine the Sena in Maharashtra. "They have been detained in Surat by Gujarat's leaders. We spoke with some of them who expressed a desire to return but were denied permission. It's a siege, it's a siege, it's a siege "he stated