NCP MLC protests before police against 'death threats' by MNS 

Akola/Sindhudurg (Maharashtra), Aug 1 (IANS) Ruling ally Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLC Amol Mitkari staged a protest outside the office of Akola Superintendent of Police (SP), demanding action against the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for issuing death threats to him, here on Thursday.

In a vicious rebuff to Mitkari, MNS leader Ameya Khopkar slammed the NCP, saying that the "Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is the President of a stolen party" and if persons like Mitkari dare to criticise MNS President Raj Thackeray, "then they will face the consequences".

"Who is this Mitkari? He is a kerosene thief… I have told my men that if anybody insults Raj Thackeray, teach him a lesson. If some second-third rung leaders, like Mitkari, don't stop their tirade against us, then we will strip him and beat him up. You want to lodge police complaints, go ahead, we are not scared," warned Khopkar, speaking to media persons in Sindhudurg.

Two days after his vehicle was attacked in a government guest house complex, Mitkari and his supporters staged a sit-in protest outside the office of SP Bachchan Singh, demanding strong action against the accused in the incident that has led to a war of words between the NCP and MNS.

Mitkari is upset that of the 13 MNS activists and local leaders booked by the Akola police, three were released on bail within hours while four others were detained on Thursday by the Civil Lines police station, which is investigating the matter.

"I was expecting that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde would intervene in the matter… They (MNS) have openly issued threats to kill me. Is it their father's rule in the state?" Mitkari told media persons on Thursday evening.

He has also levelled allegations against the police personnel for allegedly helping some of the accused, including the MNS's local office-bearers, to escape from the spot after the Tuesday (July 30) violence, that saw one of the MNS activists Jay Malokar, 24, dying of heart attack later.

Incidentally, Ajit Pawar had called up Mitkari on Wednesday and taken a detailed briefing on the July 31 incident and assured he would do the needful in the matter.