Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday said there were several scams taking place in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and asserted his party will send civic officials involved in them to jail when it regains power in Maharashtra.
Addressing a well-attended protest rally outside the civic headquarters in south Mumbai, Mr Thackeray alleged irregularities in civic road concretisation works, gravel procurement, purchase of furniture and sanitary pads.
The metropolis was being looted as the Eknath Shinde government was indulging in only scams in the last one year, the former minister alleged. The Shinde government was formed in June last year, while the BMC, where polls are due since early 2022, is under an administrator.
Mr Thackeray said he would meet Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais to demand a Lokayukta probe into the alleged irregularities in the civic body.
The rally was announced days after a key aide of Mr Thackeray was raided by Enforcement Directorate as part of a probe into an alleged scam during the coronavirus pandemic.
The ED, which is probing alleged irregularities in the allotment of contract to a firm to operate a jumbo COVID facility, had last month raided some places connected to close aides of Thackeray as well as Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut.
Hitting back, Shiv Sena spokesperson and MLA Sanjay Shirsat said those who resorted to corruption in the BMC for 25 years are taking out a morcha after a probe by the ED. The BMC was controlled by the then undivided Shiv Sena from 1997-2022.
Slamming the ruling dispensation comprising the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party, Thackeray said, “There is no work happening in Mumbai. Never saw such dirty politics breaking people from parties.”
Issuing a warning apparently to civic officials who may be indulging in corruption, the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said, “Your robbery has come to light. Your files are ready. The day we form government, we and the police will show you your place. Beware of the next file you are filing. Do not loot Mumbai. It is our city.” The former environment minister also dared the Shiv Sena-BJP to face his party in polls.
He said an attempt is being made to stop the progress of Mumbai and take it to the place where 40 traitors went, a reference to Gujarat.
"Their intention is very clear. Mumbai has never bowed before Delhi and the city has been made to stand with a bowl before it (Delhi),” he added.
Mounting an attack on BMC chief IS Chahal, who is currently heading the civic body as its state government-appointed administrator, Thackeray said. “There are no committees, corporators, chairperson or mayor in place. The administrator, when called by the government responds promptly, but he is not bothered about people.” However, a red carpet is being laid out (by the state/civic administration) for builders and contractors, Mr Thackeray claimed.
Mr Thackeray also sought a probe into the functioning of civic bodies in Nashik, Nagpur Pune and Thane. The civic bodies in Nashik, Nagpur and Pune were controlled by the BJP and Thane by Chief minister Eknath Shinde before their terms ended in early 2022 amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) 'morcha' began from Metro Cinema and culminated in front of the BMC headquarters a few hundred metres away in the afternoon.
Among those who spoke was Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Sunil Prabhu said there has been an "outburst" of corruption in the BMC.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)