Mumbai: Dy CM Eknath Shinde has reprimanded Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre, who was arrested for allegedly assaulting doctors and medical staff at a hospital in Thane district, industries minister Uday Samant said on Thursday.“Our party’s line is very clear. It is inappropriate to hit a woman doctor. Many in the Shiv Sena, as well as the state health minister, have stressed that such an assault was wrong,” said Samant, who belongs to the Shinde-led Shiv Sena.The deputy CM has appropriately reprimanded the Sena corporator, he said. “There was no political intervention, which means we are not endorsing his action,” Samant told reporters in the premises of Vidhan Bhavan.Talking to reporters separately in the complex, where the legislature is having its monsoon session, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray demanded stringent action against Mhatre, saying he should be stripped of all party and public posts, including his corporator’s position.“When we were in power, we removed (undivided Shiv Sena MLA) Sanjay Rathod from the post of state minister (in 2021 following a controversy over a Pune woman’s suicide). Mhatre’s video (of assault) has also surfaced. He has used extremely foul language and should face strict action,” Thackeray said.Replying to a question on the action expected from Deputy CM Shinde, the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said Mhatre was shifted to a hospital immediately after his arrest, raising questions over the functioning of the home department. “He (Shinde) himself is like that, but there should be strict action against Mhatre. He was moved to a hospital immediately after his arrest. It reflects poorly on the home department,” he said, adding the Shiv Sena corporator should be paraded in public.Sena MP from Kalyan Shrikant Shinde had condemned the alleged assault, and Thane MP Naresh Mhaske said on Wednesday that the Shiv Sena leadership has served a show-cause notice to the accused corporator.
