Thane, Nov 20 (PTI) Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation officials in Thane district demolished eight shops, one of which housed the local office of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), as part of an anti-encroachment drive, an official said on Sunday.

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However, local Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ramakant Devlekar said Saturday's demolition action was due to his refusal to join the faction of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

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He said other illegal structures in the area were not touched.

Local Shiv Sena (UBT) workers held a protest against the demolition.

Meanwhile, KDMC ward officer Kavita Hile said the structures were encroachments and the razing was carried out after following all civic rules, including issuing notices.

(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)