Thane, Dec 19 (PTI) NCP activists on Sunday performed milk 'abhishek' on statues of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Thane city and Ambernath township in Maharashtra.

Also Read | Omicron COVID-19 Cases in India Rise to 145.

Also Read | Maharashtra: Foresters Arrest 5 for Poaching Sambar Deer, Cooking Its Meat in Kolhapur.

They also staged a protest against Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai to condemn the alleged desecration of Chhatrapati Shivaji's statue in Bengaluru.

Activists of NCP gathered near the bust of the 17th Century king and performed milk 'abhishek' in Ambernath. They raised slogans hailing the Maratha king.

Similar 'abhishek' was performed on the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji at Masunda lake in Thane city neighbouring Mumbai.

On the occasion, they slapped the picture of the Karnataka chief minister.

Speaking to reporters, Thane Guardian Minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde said it was not the first time that the national icon Shivaji Maharaj was insulted by some means or the other.

He reiterated that the Karnataka government take stringent action against the culprits of the Bengaluru incident.

"Otherwise, we know how to deal with them. The local government (Karnataka) will be responsible," he said.

Tension prevailed in Belagavi bordering Maharashtra on Saturday after alleged activists of the Maharashtra Ekikarana Samiti vandalised a statue of freedom fighter Sangolli Rayanna, following news that a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was desecrated in Bengaluru.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)