‘BJP inducts leaders with a criminal past’

In the backdrop of the killing of two Shiv Sena leaders in Ahmednagar last week, party mouthpiece Saamana has attacked the BJP government and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, raising question over the home minister. The editorial, while citing atrocities against women in Mumbai, has termed it a failure of the law and order.

Its editor, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, has slammed BJP for its strategy of inducting politicians with criminal backgrounds for political gain ahead of the 2014 assembly elections.

The mouthpiece said that Shivaji Kardile was one of them. “The people of Maharashtra know who has been mentoring these goons and who is standing firm by these criminals. The BJP leaders who bent before these elected representatives just to ensure the claim over power in the state, are responsible for these deterioration of the law and order,” it stated.

Kardile, local BJP MLA from Ahmednagar district, has been arrested for the killing of two Sena leaders. His son in law, Sangram Jagatap, and his father, Arun Jagtap, (both are NCP legislators) are also behind bars along with their supporters.

“BJP president Amit Shah had likened the opposition with snakes, mongooses, dogs and cats in his speech during party’s foundation day last week. But these same ‘animals’ (from opposition) were given shelter in 2014 for political benefits and now they are posing threat to the law and order. The Ahmednagar killing is a blot on the image of the state,” the editorial says.

MUMBAI: