Maharashtra health minister Tanaji Sawant on Saturday hit out at Shiv Sena leader (UBT) Aaditya Thackeray over his ‘challenge’ remark to chief minister Eknath Shinde. Sawant suggested there are “four mental hospitals in Maharashtra” and Aaditya Thackeray can be admitted to one of those.
“I have the health department under which there are four mental hospitals. I would advise the CM to have the man – whose brain is affected – admitted to one of the hospitals which will have a vacancy,” Sawant said while speaking to news agency ANI.
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Last week, Thackeray challenged CM Eknath Shinde to contest elections against him from his ‘Worli’ seat. “I have challenged this unconstitutional Chief Minister (Eknath Shinde) to contest the assembly elections against me. I will resign from my Worli seat and he should resign from his seat. And let him contest from Worli against me. If he believes that he is so popular and so strong, he should come and take my challenge,” Thackeray told ANI.
Several leaders from Shiv Sena’s Shinde faction have slammed Thackeray for his challenge and called it “unconstitutional”.
State minister Deepak Kesarkar last Sunday said that he (Aaditya) is yet to be matured. “Even we can dare him to contest from Thane, but we won’t do that. We never want to insult anybody by saying something like come and save your deposit,” he added.
Balasahebachi Shiv Sena MLA Mangesh Kudalkar condemned Thackeray’s remarks and “requested” him to work with them. Giving Thackeray a similar challenge, Kudalkar said, “I want to tell Aaditya Thackeray that giving challenges is not okay. The Shinde government is working progressively. I request him to work with us. I will resign in Kurla, he must also resign and prove by winning the elections against me.”
(With inputs from ANI)