Operation Tiger Sparks Political Storm in Maharashtra as Shiv Sena (UBT) Faces Internal Crisis

Shiv Sena (UBT) Member of Parliament Priyanka Chaturvedi launched a strong attack over Operation Tiger at 2:21 PM. She alleged that the ruling establishment was so driven by the pursuit of power that it was damaging constitutional institutions, bringing investigative agencies under its control, and creating an atmosphere of fear. She stated that democratic principles were being disregarded and asserted that it was the Bharatiya Janata Party that would have to explain why such actions were being carried out.

Earlier, at 1:07 PM, Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut said that only three Lok Sabha members attended the party meeting. He named Arvind Sawant, Rajabhau Waje, and Anil Desai as the participants and noted that he himself represented the Rajya Sabha. Raut said that those Members of Parliament who failed to attend had violated party instructions. He announced that disciplinary proceedings had been initiated against them and that show-cause notices would be issued seeking explanations. He further said that efforts would be made to seek cancellation of their parliamentary membership.

At 12:28 PM, reports indicated that despite the issuance of a whip for the Shiv Sena (UBT) meeting scheduled for Thursday, only three Members of Parliament had arrived. The attendees were identified as Anil Desai, Arvind Sawant, and Rajabhau Waje, while six other Members of Parliament were still being awaited.

In another significant development at 11:32 AM, a court ruling cleared the path for Ritabrata Banerjee to fully assume responsibilities as the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly. Following the judgment, he became eligible to participate in the Budget Session of the Assembly beginning on Thursday in his capacity as Leader of the Opposition.

At 8:53 AM, Union Minister Prataprao Jadhav commented on Operation Tiger and said that the letters submitted by Members of Parliament constituted an internal matter of Shiv Sena (UBT), adding that the Lok Sabha Speaker would decide the issue. Referring to Sanjay Raut, he remarked that the language used by the Rajya Sabha member was one of the reasons behind the decline of Shiv Sena (UBT).

Earlier at 8:01 AM, Shiv Sena Member of the Legislative Council Chandrakant Raghuvanshi declared that Operation Tiger had taken place in Maharashtra and announced that six Members of Parliament had expressed their confidence in Eknath Shinde and joined Shiv Sena. He welcomed the lawmakers and described their decision as a positive development for the party.

According to media reports at 7:45 AM, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to remain in Maharashtra on June 19 and 20. He is expected to visit Kolhapur and address a public meeting at the Police Parade Ground on June 20.

International developments also remained in focus. At 7:22 AM, Democratic lawmakers in the United States demanded that Secretary of State Marco Rubio brief Congress on the agreement reached with Iran aimed at ending the conflict that has continued for more than three months.

At 6:50 AM, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and United States President Donald Trump digitally and remotely signed the Memorandum of Understanding between Tehran and Washington.

Earlier at 6:07 AM, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Paris, where members of the Indian diaspora accorded him a warm welcome.

The developments surrounding Operation Tiger have deepened political tensions in Maharashtra, exposing growing divisions within Shiv Sena (UBT), while parallel national and international events have added further significance to a day marked by intense political activity and diplomatic developments.