Putting to rest all speculations regarding him quitting as Maharashtra Minister, Shiv Sena leader Abdul Sattar has said that he has not resigned. "Whatever issues were there, the party has discussed with me and there's no question of any dissatisfaction. Anything else I have to say, I will speak with my party president Uddhav Thackerayji. I have not resigned as minister... this is just a rumour," Sattar told media persons.
Sattar also said that he is scheduled to meet the Chief Minister and will accept his decision. “I am going to talk to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray at Matoshree. After that, whatever decision will be taken by the CM, we will accept it,” Sattar told media person.
Earlier, Sena leader Anirudh Khotkar met Sattar. "Sattar had a word with chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and (senior Sena leader) Eknath Shinde. Mr. Thackeray has called him to Mumbai on Sunday. The CM will meet Sattar at Matoshri (the Thackeray residence) at 12.30 pm," Khotkar said.
Sattar, MLA from Sillod in Aurangabad district, quit the Congress before the Assembly elections last year and joined the Shiv Sena. He was made a minister of state in the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress coalition government.
Earlier on Saturday, there were reports that Sattar has stepped down as Minister of State. However, it was letter reported that he not quit and this was also confirmed by the party Rajya Sabha MP Anil Desai.
"This is not correct. He has not resigned, nor submitted any such resignation letter to me or anybody else in the party," Desai told IANS, dismissing it as "media imagination".
Sattar is the Shiv Sena's sole Muslim face in the ministry. He is among the four Muslims in the cabinet, who were sworn-in when Thackeray expanded his cabinet last month on December 30.