NEW DELHI: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Dina Patil on Thursday allegedly threatened journalists, prompting party chief and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde to ask him to express regret over the remarks.Sanjay Dina Patil is among the six Lok Sabha MPs who crossed over from Shiv Sena (UBT) to the Shiv Sena on June 21, reducing the Uddhav Thackeray-led outfit’s strength in the Lower House to six.“Why are you poking your nose in my affairs? If you come again, I will kill you,” he told journalists, lacing his remarks with expletives, PTI reported.He lost his temper when asked about the stand taken by his daughter, corporator Rajul Patil, who has said she will remain with the Shiv Sena (UBT). Journalists also sought his response to a letter written by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut to the Mumbai Police, seeking action over the Mumbai North-East MP’s earlier remarks that he would “throw bombs” at anyone protesting against his defection, enter their homes and “kill them.”Later, Shinde sought to defuse the controversy when reporters sought his reaction outside the state legislature complex.“Sanjay Dina Patil had no intention to insult the journalists….If anyone has been hurt by his words, he has expressed his willingness to express regret. I have clearly told him that if you have made any untoward remarks, you should express regret,” Shinde said.Without taking names, Shinde suggested that Patil’s outburst stemmed from repeated personal attacks.“Since 2022 (when Shinde split the Shiv Sena), you have all seen the kind of language being used in front of the media. References are made to family members and people are asked to enter others’ homes. Sanjay Dina Patil was disgusted by such language. He is neither against the media nor angry with journalists,” the deputy chief minister added.In the days leading up to the defection of the six MPs, Sanjay Raut had repeatedly publicly abused the former Shiv Sena (UBT) parliamentarians.Meanwhile, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis declined to comment, saying he would first seek complete information about the matter.“I was travelling and have no idea about the entire controversy. Let me first gather all information. It is wrong to threaten any person,” Fadnavis remarked.After joining the Shiv Sena, Patil had told reporters that when his father, former Congress MLA Dina Patil, was attacked, “we had killed five people”, without elaborating further.He was apparently responding to Raut’s “Operation Tudva” (bash up) call following the defection of the six MPs. The war of words later escalated, with Raut using expletives against Patil.
