The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) on Tuesday claimed superstition-driven incidents like black magic and witchcraft are on the rise in Maharashtra ever since the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government assumed office in June last year as it highlighted certain incidents involving Opposition leaders.

In an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana', the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of the Shiv Sena said there are talks that when Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and 40 MLAs belonging to the rebel camp went to the renowned Kamakhya temple in Guwahati, they performed "acts of black magic and sacrificed male buffaloes".