Shiv Sena Turncoat MP Sparks Row With ‘Will Kill You’ Threat To Journalist; Eknath Shinde Reacts
A political controversy has erupted in Maharashtra after Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Dina Patil allegedly threatened journalists during an interaction with the media, prompting criticism from opposition leaders and intervention from Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Patil, who recently switched from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) to the Eknath Shinde faction, reportedly lost his temper when questioned about remarks made by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut and comments from his daughter, Rajool Patil, who has publicly expressed support for the Thackeray camp despite her father’s political move.
According to reports, the Mumbai North-East MP reacted angrily to the questions and allegedly used abusive language while warning journalists against raising the issue again. The remarks quickly triggered outrage and sparked a debate over the treatment of media professionals by public representatives.
The controversy comes amid growing tensions following Patil’s defection from the Uddhav Thackeray faction. Earlier, Sanjay Raut had written to the Mumbai Police Commissioner seeking action against Patil, accusing him of threatening protesters who opposed his switch and making inflammatory remarks against them.
As the row intensified, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stepped in and publicly advised Patil to express regret if his comments had hurt journalists.
Speaking to reporters outside the Maharashtra Legislature, Shinde said he had clearly instructed the MP to apologise if any of his statements had caused offence.
At the same time, Shinde defended Patil, stating that the MP had been under pressure due to repeated personal and political attacks since the Shiv Sena split in 2022. He maintained that Patil did not hold any hostility towards journalists or the media.
Following the criticism, Patil issued a public apology through his Instagram account.
“I sincerely apologise if my reaction today hurt the sentiments of my journalist colleagues,” he wrote.
The incident has reignited discussions about political accountability, freedom of the press and the conduct expected from elected representatives during public interactions.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
