After a BJP MLA fired at a Shiv Sena leader in Thane last week, another shooting incident took place on Thursday in Mumbai in which former Shiv Sena corporator Abhishek Ghosalkar was shot dead over a land and money dispute.
Abhishek Ghosalkar, who is from the Uddhav Thackeray faction, was the son of former Shiv Sena MLA Vinod Ghosalkar. There was a threat to Ghosalkar’s life for which he had sought security.
As per reports, he was shot by Mauris Noronha, known as Mauris bhai, who calls himself a social worker and runs an NGO in Borivali. The incident took place during a Facebook live. After shooting Ghosalkar, Mauris turned the gun on himself and also died.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said that he had a meeting with Abhisekh at Matoshree in the morning.
“It shows that there is no law and order left in the state. There is goonda raj in Maharashtra. Earlier, a ruling party MLA fired at a police station. This incumbent government rather than punishing criminals awards them posts and positions. We need to come together to throw out this incumbent government,” said Aaditya Thackeray.
A `Facebook live’ video of the incident, which showed Abhishek, a former corporator, being shot in the abdomen and shoulder, went viral on social media. The incident took place in the limits of MHB Colony police station in Dahisar area, said an official. This is the second such incident in the month of January. Earlier, BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad allegedly opened fire at Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) faction leader Mahesh Gaikwad at Hill Line Police Station in Ulhasnagar, triggering sharp reactions from the opposition leaders. The BJP MLA is currently in judicial custody.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders, meanwhile, put the state government in the dock and raised questions about the incident. State Congress chief Nana Patole said that the incident marks the beginning of ‘Jungle Raj’ in the state.
“There is no rule of law in Maharashtra. Law and order have utterly collapsed in the state. Consistent firing by the MLAs of the ruling party marks the beginning of ‘Jungle Raj’”, Patole said