Mumbai: A major political and media controversy erupted on Thursday following an incident where Mumbai North-East MP, Sanjay Dina Patil, used highly abusive language and issued open threats to journalists on camera.
The incident occurred just days after his official switch from the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
While being questioned by reporters regarding his recent political move and ongoing rivalry with the Uddhav Thackeray faction, Sanjay Dina Patil lost his temper. The interaction escalated rapidly, with Patil using explicit, foul language and issuing direct physical threats to reporters in front of police personnel.
Patil was caught on camera telling journalists, “If you come back to me again, I will have you beaten up.”
He added, “Write whatever you want, record it, go and complain to the Commissioner. I am saying this right in front of the police.”
The outburst follows another recent controversial statement where he claimed his family historically “had five people killed” and threatened that anyone crossing his path would wind up “either in the hospital or the cemetery.”
The incident has triggered widespread outrage within the journalistic community and intense political friction.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief leader Eknath Shinde attempted to de-escalate the situation, stating he had spoken to Patil.
He claimed that Patil’s outburst wasn’t directed at journalists themselves but was a reflection of deep-seated anger against political rivals (specifically pointing to Sanjay Raut’s rhetoric against rebel MPs). He added that he advised Patil to express regret if his words hurt media sentiments.
Senior Shinde-faction leader Sanjay Shirsat offered an apology on behalf of the party, calling the incident an emotional outburst rather than an intentional threat.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) faction has sharply condemned the behaviour, with Sanjay Raut previously writing to the Police Commissioner demanding strict legal action against the MP for his serial use of violent and threatening language.
Raut explicitly cited two alarming statements purportedly made by Patil. He mentioned, “Patil reportedly stated, ‘I have killed 5 people before’.”
Raut urged the police to treat this as a self-confessed admission of guilt, demanding an immediate investigation into who these five individuals were and asking the authorities to register a murder case.
“In another incident, Patil allegedly warned, ‘If anyone protests against me, I will throw a bomb at them. I will enter their homes and kill them’,” claimed Raut.
Meanwhile, several associations of journalists have condemned Patil’s abusive language and demanding an apology and also action under the relevant norms.
(IANS)
