Maharashtra / Police summons BJP worker for calling Maha CM's wife 'Marathi Rabri Devi'

Mumbai: The Crime Branch CID-Cyber Cell of Mumbai Police has summoned a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) activist on Thursday for his objectionable tweet calling  Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's wife as "Marathi Rabri Devi".

According to reports, the accused is said to be a part of the BJP's social media cell and he has been summoned for questioning by the Mumbai Police.

Identified as Jiten Gajaria, the man posted a tweet with a picture of Rashmi Thackeray (Uddhav Thackeray's wife), with the caption: "Marathi Rabri Devi". Rabri Devi is the wife of Rashtriya Janata Dal President and ex-CM of Bihar Lalu Prasad.

The tweet has caused a political slugfest between Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and BJP in Maharashtra.

Gajaria was called by the police at the Bandra Kurla Complex to record his statement, but no FIR has been lodged till evening, BJP Mumbai spokesperson Vivekananda Gupta told news agency PTI.

There have been calls for appointing Uddhav Thackeray's wife or his son Aditya Thackeray as Chief Minister of Maharashtra as the CM is indisposed since the past two months due to a spinal problem.

Opposition said that Thackeray should appoint his wife or son as CM if he has no faith in any of his Shiv Sena colleagues or allies Nationalist Congress Party and Congress leaders.

"The people of the state have not seen the CM for a long... It's understandable that he is unwell. As per tradition, the charge should have been handed over to someone else. It is possible that he has no faith in the two allies (NCP-Congress), and if he has no faith even in his own partymen (Sena), he can at least give charge to Aditya Thackeray," Maharashtra BJP President Chandrakant Patil had said earlier.

Rejecting the opposition's contentions, MVA leaders said the CM, the cabinet and the government are performing very well and there should be no cause for anyone to worry.

The political controversy broke at a time when more than 10 state ministers and over 20 legislators, besides at least one MP - Supriya Sule - have tested Covid positive in the past few days.