THANE: The Mumbai Bharatiya Janata Party President and legislator M. P. Lodha on Monday demanded action against Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad for allegedly threatening Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis after a row erupted over the seizure of a Remdesivir stock on Saturday-Sunday night.
A MLA from Buldhana, Gaikwad created a flutter yesterday by slamming Fadnavis for the Remdesivir incident in Mumbai and asked him what he would have done if he (Fadnavis) had been the chief minister during the pandemic.
"If I could find the Coronavirus, I would stuff it inside Fadnavis' mouth...They are playing dirty politics over the supply of Remdesivir when thousands of people are dying," Gaikwad warned, sparking off an uproar in the BJP circles.
Lodha demanded the intervention of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and said Gaikwad should be booked under Indian Penal Code provisions for threatening to kill Fadnavis by forcibly putting Coronavirus in his mouth.
"By this, he has tried to spread terror among the people of Maharashtra, especially BJP leaders and workers and anybody speaking out against the MahaVikasAghadi or its corruption would be eliminated," Lodha said.
The state on Sunday witnessed a massive political row after the Mumbai Police intercepted a businessman from the Union Territory of Daman & Diu with a consignment of 60,000 Remdesivir vials.
Shortly afterwards, the BJP's Leaders of Opposition Fadnavis and PravinDarekar went to the Bandra Kurla Complex Police Station and protested vehemently, arguing that the consignment was procured with permission of Maharashtra FDA for distribution to the state government.
The Mumbai Police questioned the company official and later allowed him to go after a nightlong drama, even as the ruling MVA Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress accused the local BJP leaders of allegedly indulging in illegal activities when the masses were suffering due to Remdesivir shortages.
Earlier on Saturday, the NCP National Spokesperson and Minister Nawab Malik had said that the while Remdesivir was being supplied to Gujarat free of cost from a BJP office in Maharashtra, the Centre had allegedly barred companies from selling the injection in this state.
"This is the kind of low level and petty politics played by the Centre and Fadnavis. Is this the time for such politicking? They should be ashamed of their acts," said Malik. On his part, Fadnavis maintained that he has done nothing wrong and was ready to face any enquiry. (IANS)