MUMBAI, March 24 -- In an extraordinary attack on his own government, deputy chief minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde has called the Satara zilla parishad poll outcome the "murder of democracy", exposing the fault lines between the two alliance partners, the Sena and BJP, in the Mahayuti alliance government. Shinde launched his broadside in the state legislative assembly on Monday, referring to the arrest of two NCP zilla parishad members, who were unable to cast their vote in Friday's election. The poll, which also saw cross-voting, led to the defeat of the numerically superior Sena-NCP combine, paving the way for the BJP to win even though it has fewer elected members in the local body. Shinde's outburst was aimed at the BJP and his bete noir, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also heads the home department which oversees the police force. On Monday, Sena ministers and legislators staged protests in the Vidhan Bhavan premises demanding action against Satara district Superintendent of Police (SP) Tushar Doshi. Apart from the two NCP members arrest - they were booked in an old case the day before polling - Satara guardian minister Shambhuraj Desai claimed police had manhandled him and NCP minister Makarand Patil while escorting elected representatives to the ZP office, to vote. In the legislative council, deputy chairperson Neelam Gorhe ordered the suspension of the Satara SP, a decision later put on hold by council chairperson Ram Shinde. Shinde told the assembly that the Satara police had made the arrests even though he had spoken to state police chief Sadanand Date and Doshi before the election, to ensure seamless polling. "I was told by minister Shambhuraj Desai (who was handling the election for the Sena) that the police had booked NCP ZP members in an old case a day before the election, and planned to arrest them the next day, just before voting," Shinde said. "I urged the SP and the DGP to allow the members to vote first and then proceed with legal action. Stopping individuals from voting is a crime and amounts to the murder of democracy," he remarked, attacking his own government. According to Shinde, both officials had assured him in separate conversations that the members would be allowed to vote. "However, the police took them into custody from outside the polling booth despite strong opposition from our ministers and MLAs present," he said, adding that a development like that was unprecedented in the state. Responding to Shinde's charges, Fadnavis told the house, "Considering the factual situation elaborated by Shinde, an appropriate investigation will be conducted and action will be taken based on its findings." In the legislative council, Sena minister Shambhuraj Desai alleged, "When I was entering the ZP building, I was beaten by the police. I was bleeding. Minister Patil's brother, Rajya Sabha MP Nitin Patil, was dragged from the staircase. This is unprecedented. In the confrontation, two of our members were even 'kidnapped' by the police." "The Satara SP acted like a domestic servant. He should be suspended along with his subordinates and a judicial probe must be conducted," Desai said. NCP minister Makarand Patil said, "Despite being ministers, we were treated like criminals. Even an accused cannot be prevented from voting and, still, elected members were stopped from voting in Satara district." After hearing both sides, deputy chairperson of the legislative council Neelam Gorhe directed the government to suspend SP Doshi and the other police personnel involved. "The house trusts the minister's statement. I direct the government to suspend the Satara SP immediately. No inquiry into the incident has yet been ordered, which should have been done yesterday," said Gorhe. Council chairperson Ram Shinde, however, reserved Gorhe's suspension order. On the authority of the deputy chairperson or presiding officer of the house, former principal secretary to the state legislature, Anant Kalse, said, "As per parliamentary practices and traditions, the deputy chairperson or any other presiding officer has the same authority as the chairperson of the legislative council or the speaker of the assembly."...