Row over gangster in Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde's Ayodhya flight

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's two-day trip to Ayodhya has been overshadowed by the presence of a gangster on the special plane that flew MLAs and MPs to Uttar Pradesh.

Siddesh Mhaskar, popularly known as Siddesh Abhange, hails from Thane where is facing several cases of assault, extortion, rioting, carrying deadly weapons and forgery. Abhange is called a 'Youtube don' for putting up videos of himself behaving like a 'Don' on Youtube.

The Maharashtra opposition, led by the Nationalist Congress Party and the Uddhav faction of Sena, has slammed Shinde for taking Abhange to Ayodhya. "First you take the traitors (read rebel MLAs) to Gujarat and clean them with washing powder. Now, you take a gangster accussed of murder, extortion to a pious place like Ayodhya in a special plane with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Is this acceptable to you Devendra Fadnavis ji, questioned an Opposition leader in the Maharashtra Legislative council.

In Thane, NCP leader Subham Jatal said: "Abhange has cases of drug-trafficking registered against him. Abhange's presence in the special plane and in Ayodhya also puts several question marks on the Mumbai police."