A day after the Maharashtra cabinet expansion, the Shiv Sena claimed administering ministerial oath to rebels MLAs, whose disqualification pleas are pending before the Supreme Court, amounted to murder of democracy and the Constitution.

By finally taking the ministerial oath, the rebels have taken a dip in the Ganga river. But will they be able to "wash the sin of betrayal?" an editorial in the Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' asked on Wednesday.