Mumbai, July 24
Former Shiv Sena leader Narayan Rane descended on Mumbai’s streets by kicking off a series of rallies from the Shiv Sena’s stronghold this morning.

Recovering from the shock of Rane’s attempts to split the party, activists of the Shiv Sena today regrouped and took on the rebel leader themselves. The dais put up outside the office of Sena mouthpiece “Saamna” was set on fire shortly before Rane was to address his first rally. However, he began his rally as scheduled after the police arrested scores of Sena activists gathered nearby.

Shortly after Rane arrived at the venue, Shiv Sena activists raised a chorus against him. As expected Rane hit out at the executive president of the party Uddhav Thackeray.

“The Shiv Sena is no longer the same party of 39 years ago. Honest workers who built the party from scratch had no place in the Shiv Sena anymore. The only mistake I made was that on April 14 when there was a meeting of members of the party, I tried to highlight the changed conditions and situations of the party,” he said.

After Rane was informed that Uddhav Thackeray was present inside Saamna’s office he challenged the Shiv Sena leader to step out if had the guts. He hit out Uddhav’s supporters for ushering in a culture of corruption and bribery. “Today posts in the Shiv Sena are being sold to the highest bidder,” Rane alleged.

After Rane left, Uddhav hit out at his foe. “What he (Rane) has done today was not a show of masculinity. He took the support of the police and lathicharged our women activists,” he said. Uddhav named five senior police officers, who he alleged, caned the Shiv Sena cadres.

Similar, but less dramatic, scenes were witnessed at other places in Central Mumbai where Rane addressed rallies. The police force deployed to prevent the rallies from being disrupted caned Shiv Sena activists in Dadar and other places. In all, more than a hundred Shiv Sena activists were detained in many parts of the city, the police said.

Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena’s trade union in Mumbai’s power and transport utility, BEST, is all set to split. With help from the Congress and the NCP, a section of the BEST Kamgar Sena is all set to join Rane. More than a thousand persons attended a union meeting called by Rane last night.