Pune, Jun 21 (PTI) BJP's Rajya Sabha member Udayanraje Bhosale and his cousin - BJP MLA Shivendraraje Bhosale - confronted each other along with their respective supporters during a stone-laying ceremony of a new building in Satara district of Maharashtra on Wednesday, police said.
Although they belong to the same party, their relationship has soured in the past few years over local politics. The two descendants of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had come face-to-face in the past as well.
The stone-laying ceremony of a new building on the land belonging to the market committee was planned on the outskirts of Satara city. Shivendraraje controls the local agriculture produce market committee (APMC).
However, before the ceremony, Udayanraje and his supporters reached the spot and crushed a container on the land using a JCB machine in a bid to stop the proposed stone-laying ceremony.
Some time later, Shivendraraje also came to the site with his followers. Both the groups confronted each other, after which the police had to intervene.
Udayanraje said the land belongs to him, and some locals were tenants and documents with the locals show that there is a stay order on the land dispute issue.
During the confrontation, Udayanraje is heard asking police to file a trespassing case against those who entered the land.
While argument over ownership of land was going on, Shivendraraje used a tiller and performed the ceremony even as Udayanraje and supporters were arguing and opposing the move. The two cousins and their supporters also came face-to-face.
Chairman of the APMC said the land, measuring 15-and-a-half acres, was acquired by the market committee and the 7/12 land extract was in its name. The tenants have already received compensation, he said.
The market yard building is planned on the land for farmers and traders, Shivendraraje said.
"Those who are challenging the ownership of the land should show anything from court to the police. We had held multiple meetings with the police over the land dispute, but no one (from the other group) had come.
"They do not have any legal standing and they are just trying to heckle and create pressure. But truth prevailed today as we performed the stone-laying ceremony as planned," he said.
On behalf of the market committee, I demanded that the police take action against those who tried to create obstacles during the event.
Talking about the episode, a police official said, "Udayanraje and his supporters expressed their displeasure over the ceremony. The two groups confronted each other. But the inauguration was carried out."