TMC leaders gherao Guwahati hotel where Sena MLAs are camping, detained by cops

New Delhi: While political crisis deepens in Maharashtra with Shiv Sena legislators abandoning party leadership and heading to Assam, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders took the opportunity to build pressure on the BJP government over saffron party’s alleged role in inciting ‘rebellion’ in the Thackeray-led party.

A group of TMC members and workers from Assam reached the Guwahati hotel where the Shiv Sena rebel MLAs are camping and started demonstrations. TMC state president Rioun Bora led the protest while workers indulged in slogan-shouting.

The police tried to persuade them to vacate the venue but when the situation deteriorated, the TMC workers were taken into custody.

#WATCH | Members and workers of Assam unit of TMC protest outside Radisson Blu Hotel in Guwahati where rebel Maharashtra MLAs, including Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde, are staying.

Party’s state president Ripun Bora is leading the protest here. pic.twitter.com/rfoD0fQSKU

— ANI (@ANI) June 23, 2022

The Radisson Hotel has become a fortress after rebel Shiv Sena MLAs landed in Guwahati from Surat. The hotel has been under strict vigilance and Assam police have taken over the security of hotel from the private guards. Even, the entry of media persons has been barred into the hotel.

While Shiv Sena supremo, last night, appealed to party legislators to return to Maharashtra for salvaging the crisis but it didn’t yield any results. In fact, more MLAs landed in Guwahati hotel today. Early this morning, 3 Sena MLAs — Deepak Kesakar, Mangesh Kudalkar and Sada Sarvankar joined the Shinde camp.

Though pictures & videos of Eknath Shinde and rebel Sena leaders have landed on social media indicating their strength, they have remained locked inside the hotel premises.

#WATCH | Assam | 42 rebel MLAs from Maharashtra – 35 from Shiv Sena and 7 Independent MLAs – seen together at Radisson Blu Hotel in Guwahati.#MaharashtraPoliticalCrisis pic.twitter.com/6MPgq42a3V

— ANI (@ANI) June 23, 2022

While protesting outside the hotel, TMC workers criticized Himanta government.

“Lakhs of people in Assam are suffering due to floods but the Assam CM is busy toppling the Maharashtra government,” said a TMC worker.

While Shiv Sena & its alliance partners brainstorm over dealing with the political mess, Shinde has remained defiant and insists that the party must walk out of ‘unnatural’ alliance with Congress & NCP.