'Even Kasab didn't have so much security...': Sanjay Raut's barb at Shiv Sena rebels ahead of floor test

Ahead of the floor test in Maharashtra Assembly today, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Monday took at jibe at Eknath Shinde-led rebel MLAs saying that even “Kasab didn’t have so much security”. 

“This (alliance between BJP and Eknath Shinde) is a temporary arrangement, they will not be able to go to people. They were lions in Shiv Sena. Even Kasab didn’t have so much security but they had when they reached Mumbai. What are you scared off?” said Raut. 

“Party won't weaken, our oxygen isn't power. We aren't strong because we are in power, we are strong and that's why we are in power. People come and go.They opted to join our party and left due to outside forces. We'll go to villages, will find other workers,” he added. 

Earlier, Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray had also targeted the Eknath Shinde-led government on the stringent security arrangements in place for rebel Shiv Sena MLAs as they entered the Vidhan Bhavan premises from a nearby luxury hotel on Sunday.

Rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, who support Shinde, returned to Mumbai from Goa on Saturday evening and were lodged in a luxury hotel in south Mumbai. 

Before the session commenced, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction sealed the legislative party office in the Vidhan Bhavan. A paper was stuck with a plastic tape on the closed doors of the Sena legislative party office in the Vidhan Bhavan, with a message in Marathi written on it saying, "The office is closed as per instructions of the Shiv Sena legislative party.”