Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced on Monday that Shiv Sena Palghar city president Rahul Gharat would be suspended following an attack on staff at a private hospital, an incident that the party says was carried out by its own functionaries.
The assault, which took place in the early hours of Sunday at Relief Hospital in Palghar near Mumbai, involved doctors and other employees after a dispute over medical bills for injured Dahi Handi participants. The police said the attackers abused and threatened the staff.
Later that day, more than a dozen Shiv Sena workers, including district and city unit chiefs and an MLA’s son, were booked. Of the 17 booked, 10 names were released, among them district chief Kundan Balkrishna Sankhe, city chief Rahul Ramdas Gharat and Rohit Gavit, son of MLA Rajendra Gavit.
Shinde said any grievances over bills should be addressed through legal channels and that the party would not support violence against doctors or healthcare staff. He warned that no party worker or leader would be protected and that strict disciplinary action would follow.
The Deputy Chief Minister stressed that violence has no place in a democracy and that the law must take its course. He added that doctors and healthcare workers must be able to perform their duties without fear.
