The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Tuesday made a big claim on how the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government collapsed in Maharashtra in 2022.
In an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana, the Sena (UBT) says at least 18 MLAs and MPs of the then ruling alliance were honey-trapped using hidden cameras and a Pegasus-like surveillance system.
Many of these legislators from the undivided Shiv Sena and the NCP faced pressure from the Centre, forcing them to switch sides and join hand with the BJP to save their image, it claims.
"Hidden cameras and a Pegasus-like system from Israel were used (for surveillance) to its fullest extent. It is now clear that the MVA government collapsed due to this (honey) trapping,” the paper says.
The NCP-Congress-Shiv Sena government came to power in Maharashtra in 2019 after Uddhav Thackeray pulled out of the National Democratic Alliance following differences with the BJP over the chief minister post.
However, the Thackeray-led government collapsed in 2022 after Sena leader Eknath Shinde pulled off a coup and joined hands with the BJP with several MLAs loyal to him.
Now, the Thackeray camp alleges that the MLAs who switched sides had fallen pray to honey-trapping.
“When a pen drive containing evidence of honeytrapping, which involved Shiv Sena MPs and MLAs, was handed over to Eknath Shinde, they set out on their journey to Surat, Guwahati and then to Goa. This is all like a suspense thriller,” says the Saamana editorial.
It also claims that Devendra Fadnavis, who was then the leader of the opposition, blackmailed the MPs and MLAs to give support to Shinde.
