Security increased at Sena HQ, Matoshree; Mumbai police commissioner meets CM Uddhav Thackeray

Mumbai, Jun 23: Amid ongoing political turmoil in Maharashtra caused by a rebellion in the Shiv Sena, Mumbai police on Thursday beefed up security at the party headquarters Shiv Sena Bhavan and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's private residence Matoshree' here.

City police commissioner Sanjay Pandey met CM Thackeray at Matoshree to discuss the law and order situation, said an official.

With senior Sena leader Eknath Shinde and at least 37 party MLAs rebelling against the party leadership, there is a possibility of violent reaction among Sena supporters in the city, the police official said.

As Mumbai is a Shiv Sena bastion and also the nerve centre of political developments in the state, police are taking precautions to avoid any untoward incidents on the streets, he said.

In the past, the city had witnessed outbursts of anger by the Sena cadre when leaders like Chhagan Bhujbal or Narayan Rane quit the party.

Besides Matoshree in Bandra and Shiv Sena Bhavan in Dadar, security at other important locations including Mantralaya (administrative headquarters of the state government) and Raj Bhavan was also stepped up. On Thursday, angry Shiv Sena supporters blackened a photograph of Mahim MLA Sada Sarvankar, who has joined Shinde's group in Guwahati, on a banner, scribbling Gaddar' (traitor) across it.

Security has also been increased at the residences and offices of rebel MLAs, and police were deployed outside all the Shiv Sena shakhas' (local offices). Security of the residence of BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis in Nagpur was also increased, an official said.