UBT Sena targets Eknath Shinde after Rupali Chakankar resigns over Ashok Kharat row

Mumbai: A day after Maharashtra State Women's Commission chairperson Rupali Chakankar resigned over her links with self-proclaimed spiritual leader Ashok Kharat-accused of raping a woman-the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) Sena has now trained its guns on Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

UBT Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray said action should be taken not only against Kharat but also against his followers in politics.

"Those in politics who follow such fraud babas should also be prosecuted. Everyone should be investigated. We have a law against black magic, yet political leaders go to such babas for help. This is because they lack merit and resort to such methods," Thackeray said.


Though he did not name anyone, the remarks were seen as directed at Shinde, who had visited Kharat in 2022 and performed a puja at his temple.

UBT Sena MP Sanjay Raut alleged that the Devendra Fadnavis government acted against Kharat because black magic was being used to destabilise it. While neither Raut nor Thackeray named individuals, the party has earlier alleged that Shinde had indulged in such practices to unseat Fadnavis as Chief Minister.

BJP spokesperson Navnath Ban dismissed the charge as "ridiculous". "No black magic can bring down a government. This government has been elected by the people and has their mandate, regardless of any rituals," he said.

Ban countered that the UBT-led government must answer why, during its tenure, a special order was issued to supply 39 lakh litres of water from a Nashik dam to Kharat's trust, along with a 48-km pipeline from Dharna dam.

Kharat came under the scanner after a 28-year-old woman alleged he raped her after spiking her drink during a ritual.