Sanjay Raut Calls Rebel MLAs “Living Corpses”, Says Their Souls Are Dead

Mumbai: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday slammed the party’s rebel MLAs calling them “living corpses” and said that their “souls are dead”.

“40 MLAs in Guwahati are living corpses, their souls are dead. Their bodies will be sent directly to the Assembly for post-mortem when they come back. They know what can happen in the fire that has been lit here,” Mr Raut said while addressing party workers in Mumbai.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray claimed that on May 20, Uddhav Thackeray had asked Eknath Shinde to become chief minister if he wanted to, but at that time he did drama and now just a month later, he rebelled.

Aditya Thackeray said this at the Yuva Sena national executive meeting.

“But they (Shinde faction) aren’t capable of doing so, this isn’t rebellion, this is separatism. They took undue advantage of CM Uddhav Thackeray’s ill-health to do all this,” he said.

While terming rebel MLAs as “traitors”, Mr Thackeray said Maharashtra will never forgive those who have betrayed Shiv Sena.

“Shiv Sena’s doors are open for those who want to leave and those who want to return to the party. Those rebel MLAs who are traitors will not be taken back into the party,” he said.

Attacking the group of MLAs who are currently in Guwahati hotel, Aaditya Thackeray said it is good that some dirt has gone away from the party.

He challenged rebel MLAs and asked them to resign and fight the election.

“This is happening for the first time in the state that the ruling party MLAs left the party to sit in the opposition. People are telling their numbers but I want to say that we have the figures. I challenge them to resign and contest the elections. The truth will come out,” Shiv Sena’s leader said.

The political turbulence in Maharashtra was triggered by the faction war in Shiv Sena after Minister Eknath Shinde flew to Surat with some MLAs and then to Guwahati where he claimed of having the support of 38 MLAs of the 55 Shiv Sena legislators, which is more than two-thirds of the party’s strength in the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)