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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

SS MP threatens to ‘bomb’ political opponents

Journalists staged a protest outside Balasaheb Bhavan against Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Dina Patil, condemning his alleged remarks against members of the media. Pic: Bhushan Koyande Mumbai: Mumbai North-East MP Sanjay Dina-Patil – who recently defected to the ruling ally Shiv Sena apparently went haywire on Thursday, hurling bomb threats at political opponents, spitting expletives at protestors, warning jounos of assault and warning anybody “to do whatever you can”, sparking a massive political...

SS MP threatens to ‘bomb’ political opponents

Journalists staged a protest outside Balasaheb Bhavan against Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Dina Patil, condemning his alleged remarks against members of the media. Pic: Bhushan Koyande Mumbai: Mumbai North-East MP Sanjay Dina-Patil – who recently defected to the ruling ally Shiv Sena apparently went haywire on Thursday, hurling bomb threats at political opponents, spitting expletives at protestors, warning jounos of assault and warning anybody “to do whatever you can”, sparking a massive political furore. Elected on a Shiv Sena (UBT) ticket, Dina-Patil lost his temper when he was questioned on his daughter and SS (UBT) Municipal Corporator Rajool Patil who went to meet ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray to express her allegiance despite her father’s defection to the Shiv Sena led by Deputy CM Eknath Shinde. Instead of replying, Dina-Patil, reported to be short-tempered, blew his top and reacted aggressively with abuses: “Record this on camera… I have spoken to you for 2 minutes, I respect you, you should do the same… Don’t mess with me. If you return here, I will thrash and send you back. I am saying this in front of the police, you do whatever you want.” Just a couple of days ago, Dina-Patil had threatened SS (UBT) workers protesting against him. “Anybody who tries to cross my path, I will send them to the crematorium or the hospital. We have committed five murders in the past. If you protest against me, I will throw bombs on you and enter your house to hammer you.” As these threats and unparliamentary language stoked a massive political row, SS (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut shot off a letter to Mumbai Commissioner of Police Deven Bharti, demanding that the police probe all the statements of Dina-Patil and ‘book him for murder’. On the alleged bomb threats, Raut said if Dina-Patil had acquired the explosives from some terrorist organisation, he should be arrested under the dreaded Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, dealing with terrorism, terming it as a matter of national security. Political Explosion The matter escalated into a full-fledged political brawl with Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders like Congress’ Nana Patole, Vijay Wadettiwar; SS (UBT)’s Aditya Thackeray, Sunil Raut, Sushma Andhare; Nationalist Congress Party (SP)’s Supriya Sule, Dr. Jitendra Awhad, Jayant R. Patil, and many more, attacking Dina-Patil and demanding that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis must act in the matter. Aditya challenged Dina-Patil to instantly quit as MP, recontest in the name of Shinde or PM Narendra Modi and then see the outcome. Andhare said till the MPs were with SS (UBT), they were cultured but after walking over to the Shiv Sena, they have lost all their etiquettes or fear of the laws. Faced with an embarrassing backlash, Bharatiya Janata Party’s Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Shiv Sena’s Omprakash Babarao alias Bachhu Kadu quickly tendered unconditional apologies to the media on behalf of Dina-Patil, while Minister Girish Mahajan attempted to equate the outburst with recent strong language used by Sanjay Raut, who had said that “Shinde has given birth to 6 traitors”. On Raut’s letter to the CoP, a defiant Dina-Patil declared: “Whatever I said, I did it openly. If the police feel any action is to be taken against me, I am ready to face the consequences.” He again slammed the media persons for "thrusting microphones at him”, going to the ‘other side’ (the MVA) and then returning to quiz him, prompting the TV Journalists Association and other media groups to protest and seek action against the belligerent MP. “Has the MP been provided (Y-Plus) security at public expense to threaten the media which is doing its duty or the political protesters?” asked an irate TV reporter. Dina-Patil launched a broadside against the MVA and dared those who dubbed him a ‘traitor’ to come to his constituency without any security. On the incident of five murders, he airily said: “It had happened before I was born”, but Raut retorted claiming to possess details of all those alleged killings. “I don’t need an entourage of 10 vehicles as I rule the hearts of the people. I have aligned myself with ‘real men’. Shinde Saheb has commended me for my stand,” he claimed. Fadnavis and Shinde commented briefly on the matter and later were closeted in a meeting to discuss the fallout of Dina-Patil’s utterances especially after the media launched strong protests in different parts of Mumbai.

Diplomatic Narcissism

When Donald Trump extends a hand of friendship, it is often to the world’s most unsavoury actors. His latest overture - a cosy lunch with Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir in the White House Cabinet Room reveals the full absurdity of Trumpian diplomacy. This spectacle comes just after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sharply rebuffed Trump’s delusional claim of ‘mediating’ the recent conflict with Pakistan that was triggered after terrorists sponsored by the latter slaughtered Indian tourists at Pahalgam, promoting the government to launch Operation Sindoor.


Trump’s meeting with Munir is not just diplomatically reckless but morally bankrupt, with the latter flattering the US president’s already outsize ego by saying he ought to be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.


In a phone call initiated by Trump, Modi reminded him, firmly and publicly, that India has never accepted third-party mediation over the recent conflict nor Pakistan’s illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir and never will. Modi reiterated that Operation Sindoor, India’s precise military response to the brutal Pahalgam terror attack, was carried out without external consultation.


Contrary to Trump’s self-aggrandising claims, the ceasefire that followed was brokered via existing India-Pakistan military channels at Pakistan’s own request. India, which smashed Pakistan’s air defences, had no need for an American middleman playing peacemaker from afar.


Trump claimed he would end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours but has failed to meaningfully confront Vladimir Putin. He declared he would bring peace to the Middle East, but Israel continues to pound Gaza into rubble. Now, as Israel and Iran inch towards war, he is once again gravitating toward Pakistan which has consistently sponsored cross-border terrorism.


That Munir, a man steeped in extremist rhetoric and closely tied to the deep state machinery behind the Pahalgam massacre, is being feted in Washington speaks volumes. It is a grotesque insult to India who had in fact welcomed Trump’s second innings. It is also a reminder that Trump’s obsession with optics trumps any strategic coherence.


Pakistan’s generals are no strangers to manipulation, but even they must be surprised by how easily Trump is played. He treats them as indispensable partners in containing Iran, while wilfully ignoring their decades-long record of duplicity, from harbouring Osama bin Laden to undermining NATO’s efforts in Afghanistan. This is not realpolitik but reality television.


India has made clear it will talk to Pakistan only on two terms: terrorism and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Yet Trump barrels on, inflating his own role, twisting facts and sowing confusion.


His bromance with the Pakistani military, orchestrated in full view of the press, is a reminder that Trumpism enables aggressors while posturing as ‘mediator.’ Trump promised peace but has only delivered provocation thus far. From Ukraine to Kashmir, we have had enough of the Trump doctrine, so full of hollow boasts and vain interventions.

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