BEST strike staged to defame Shiv Sena: MLC Anil Parab

A day after the nine-day strike by BEST workers ended in Mumbai, Shiv Sena, which rules the civic body, charged that the strike was orchestrated by the party's opponents to defame it.

Speaking on Thursday, Shiv Sena MLC and spokesperson Anil Parab charged that union leader Shashank Rao's script had been "written by someone else."

"This politics was played to defame the Shiv Sena," said Parab, adding that some "invisible hands," had helped Rao enforce the strike. He was referring to Rajya Sabha MP Narayan Rane, MLC Kapil Patil and BJP Mumbai chief Ashish Shelar. Parab alleged that the workers did not get anything in return.

Parab said they wanted to ensure that BEST workers got justice and added that the Shiv Sena union had withdrawn support to the strike as Rao was stretching things too far. He charged that Rao's claims that BEST workers would not get a salary hike of Rs 7,500 a month was wrong.

Rao said on Thursday Sena had no will to give additional benefits to BEST workers. He said the employees would get a salary bump of Rs 3,700 from this month, followed by a similar amount around one-and-half month later, translating into a total rise of around Rs 7,500. "We thanked all who support us, be it Rane, Patil, Shelar, Raj Thackeray or Sena union.