The attack by some Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) employees on the residence of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar’s Mumbai residence snowballed into a major political controversy on Saturday, as the ruling Shiv Sena accused the BJP of “masterminding” the attack and a state NCP leader claimed that there was a “sinister plan” to cause “physical harm” to Pawar and his family members.

On a day when Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari condemned attack on Pawar’s residence, the ruling Shiv Sena – which heads the MVA government in Maharashtra — charged that Friday’s incident was not an agitation but “brutal and pre-planned” attack on the NCP chief’s residence “Silver Oak” bungalow located on Peddar Road in South Mumbai.

Talking to the media after meeting Pawar, Shiv Sena MP and Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut said: “The flash protest staged by some MSRTC employees in front Pawar saheb’s residence was not an agitation, but a brutal and pre-planned attack.  It is sad that the Opposition (BJP) is supporting such acts. They are stooping to the lowest level of politics to target the MVA government and create a law-and-order situation in the state,” Raut said.

Slamming the arrested MSRTC employees and their lawyer Gunratan Sadavarte for trying to barge into Pawar’s residence as part of Friday’s protest, Raut demanded to know as to who was behind Sadavarte. “We would like to know who is actually supporting Sadavarte, in whose house he lives and who is supporting him financially”     

Raut charged that Adv. Sadavarte had been ‘propped up’ by the Opposition BJP under the garb of a labour agitation. “The BJP is doing all this as part of its sinister plan of toppling the MVA government but it would not succeed,” the Sena spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, State Housing Minister and NCP leader Jitendra Awhad  claimed that the motive behind Friday’s incident was to cause ‘bodily harm’ to Pawar, his wife and other family members present at that time in Pawar’s Peddar Road residence “Silver Oak” in south Mumbai.

“Fortunately, with the blessings of millions of people of the state, nothing untoward happened to Pawar Saheb or his family members…” Dr. Awhad said.. NCP State Spokesperson Mahesh Tapase charged that the attack was “a pre-planned and politically-motivated conspiracy”  aimed at destabilising the MVA government. He warned the political rivals that NCP workers would not remain mute spectators’. Some “100 to 125” striking employees had landed at Pawar’s residence at around 3 pm on Friday, went past the security barricades erected in front of Pawar’s residence and raised slogans against the NCP chief and raised vociferous slogans against the NCP chief.

Some of the protesters had tried to barge into the NCP chief’s residence. Some of the protesters even hurled footwear at Pawar’s residence.

The section of the MSRTC employees that staged a flash protest in front of Pawar was “venting” its anger against the NCP chief’s “failure” to resolve their demand that the employees be included in the state government’s pay rolls. The MSRTC employees -- have been on an indefinite agitation since October 28 last year.

The incident had come a day after the Bombay High Court extended the deadline for the agitating MSRTC employees till April 22 to resume duty without any fear of administrative action,

“On one hand the MSRTC workers welcomed the high court’s order by organising celebrations. That being the case, how did they suddenly decide to pelt stones and shoes at Pawar saheb’s residence ? BJP leaders like Anil Bonde and others are misguiding the MSRTC employees which is just not done,” Tapase said.

Given that Pawar enjoys Z-Plus category security that the NCP’s Dilip Walse-Patil is the State Home Minister, the unprecedented storming of the NCP chief’s residence by the MSRTC employees came as a big jolt to the MVA government.

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Saturday termed the incident was the result of an “intelligence failure”.

State Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil, who was among the several MVA ministers who visited Pawar’s residence, had said on Friday that an inquiry would be held to find out if there were intelligence lapses leading to the incident in front of Pawar’s residence.