Disha Salian row: Calls for Aaditya Thackeray’s resignation stall Assembly proceedings

Disha Salian, who allegedly fell to her death from a residential building in Malad on June 8, 2020

The Maharashtra Assembly witnessed an uproar over the Disha Salian case with MLAs from the ruling coalition shouting slogans and rushing to the well after Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) MLA Sanjay Gaikwad demanded that Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray resign on moral grounds as he had been mentioned in a petition filed by Disha's father seeking a fresh investigation into her death.

Drawing a parallel with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Dhananjay Munde's recent resignation, Gaikwad insisted, "Aaditya Thackeray, too, should resign as MLA."

Munde had stepped down from his ministerial post on March 4 after his close associate, Walmik Karad, was arrested in connection with the murder of Massajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh in Beed district.

Varun Sardesai, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA, who represents Vandre East seat. File pic/Satej Shinde

Due to the commotion created by Gaikwad's demand, Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar was compelled to adjourn proceedings for ten minutes. Later, the session resumed but MLAs continued to bring up the Salian issue.

Government's reply

Gaikwad demanded that the government should make a statement on the matter Replying to the query, a minister in the Mahayuti government - comprising the BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) - Shambhuraj Desai said that whether or not a legislator should resign has to be decided by their party leaders (in this case, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena). "If someone has to resign, it must be done on moral grounds. But, as a government, our stand is clear in the case, the special investigating team (SIT) that was formed to probe the death of Disha Salian is still investigating the case. Once the inquiry is completed, action will be taken based on the findings of the probe. No one will be spared."

‘Conduct thorough probe'

Despite this, BJP's Ram Kadam continued raising questions on the issue, alleging that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) - which comprises Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP-SP and Congress - have tampered with the evidence pertaining to this case. "The government should conduct a thorough probe and take action against those guilty," Kadam added.

However, quick to respond, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Varun Sardesai asked the ruling coalition MLAs whether they don't trust the government of India and the Union home ministry led by Amit Shah. "The CBI was assigned the probe. The agency has filed a closure report. If MLAs are still demanding probes and creating a ruckus in the House, is it that the ruling coalition's legislators do not trust the central agency?" Sardesai, a cousin of Aaditya Thackeray, asked.
Last week, too, the Assembly was adjourned for ten minutes over the issue.

The case

Four and a half years after former celebrity manager Disha Salian's alleged mysterious death, her father, Satish Salian, moved the Bombay High Court seeking an FIR against Aaditya Thackeray and others.

Disha Salian died on June 8, 2020, after allegedly falling from the 14th floor of a residential building in Malad. The city police had then registered an accidental death report. Speaking with the media at the time, Aaditya Thackeray had termed allegations against him as nothing but an exercise to malign his image, stating, "We will present our side before the court," the Sena (UBT) leader had said.