Maharashtra NDA allies in vicious ‘dog-fight’

MUMBAI: Two prominent Maharashtra NDA allies, including a minister, were involved in a vicious verbal slanging match calling each other a “dog.”

The loud feud erupted between the Maharashtra Swabhiman Party (MSP) and ruling ally Shiv Sena’s Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam after the latter made certain remarks against the MSP founder Narayan Rane and his family members.

Questioning Rane’s political locus standi, at a function in Ratnagiri late on Friday, Kadam pointed out that he had changed several political parties in his career and because of Shiv Sena, he (Rane) could make crores of rupees for self and family.

“He left the Shiv Sena to join the Congress, and now he’s with the Bharatiya Janata Partya. What're his political credentials to criticize the Shiv Sena top leadership?” Kadam remarked.

“The Ranes’ are a blot on the Konkan region and I will not rest till I erase it from here,” he thundered.

Peeved by the statement, Rane’s son Nitesh Rane hit back early today by comparing Kadam with a “dog.”

“The late Balasaheb Thackeray, Raj Thackeray loved dogs, even Uddhav Thackeray has continued the tradition in Kadam’s image. But he (Kadam) doesn’t know that barking dogs don’t bite,” Nitesh Rane’s biting tweet said.

In response, Kadam hit back by calling Rane Jr. “a dog, and offspring of a dog” this afternoon, when asked for reactions by media-persons.

“That’s their culture,” Kadam shot back before hurrying off.