Mumbai, 20 June (HS): The Operation Tiger controversy is

anticipated to heat up today in Maharashtra, when dissident Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs

travel to Delhi. According to reports, six of the nine Lok Sabha MPs skipped a

vital party meeting and are due to arrive in Delhi today, stoking speculation

over a probable move to the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde. According to sources,

the MPs are likely to stay at a secret place in the national capital before

considering their next move. An official declaration is expected only when the

Lok Sabha Secretariat provides a bulletin on the topic, after which the MPs are

scheduled to address the media. Meanwhile, three dissident Shiv Sena-UBT MPs

were spotted in a five-star hotel in Delhi with Shiv Sena national coordinator

Abhishek Verma.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut posted a strange statement on

social media on Saturday, amid mounting internal party strife over the likely

defection of six Lok Sabha MPs to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Raut tweeted

an image with the Hindi word, Kuch log kuttey toh hoty hain, lekin

wafa'daar nahi hoty (Some people may be dogs, but they are not loyal),

with the caption, Jai Maharashtra!

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi