Delisle bridge ‘opening’: Ready to face police action, claims Aaditya

To be sure, based on a complaint filed by a Brihamumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official on Friday, the NM Joshi Marg police in the early hours of Saturday registered a case against Aaditya, Sena (UBT) MLCs Sunil Shinde and Sachin Ahir, former mayors Kishori Pednekar and Snehal Ambekar, and 20 other party workers

Mumbai: Hours after police charged Worli MLA Aaditya Thackeray with an act endangering life or personal safety of others for allegedly opening the unfinished second carriageway of the Delisle Road bridge in Lower Parel, the defiant Shiv Sena (UBT) leader on Saturday justified his action and said he was ready to face the case.

Delisle bridge ‘opening’: Ready to face police action, claims Aaditya

“My grandfather (Shiv Sena founder late Bal Thackeray) would have been proud of me had he known that I faced police action for doing something for the people,” he said at a press conference.

Questioning the delay in opening of infrastructure projects that were completed, Aaditya said the 120-metre stretch (of Delisle Road bridge) was ready 10 days ago but the mindhe (Marathi word for those who are burdened with favours, as the Uddhav Thackeray faction calls Eknath Shinde-led camp and his government) government wanted to open it by the hands of VIPs. “However, we wanted it to be opened to the public immediately.”

Without naming anybody, he claimed that police officers were pressured and threatened with transfer if they did not register the FIR.

To be sure, based on a complaint filed by a Brihamumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official on Friday, the NM Joshi Marg police in the early hours of Saturday registered a case against Aaditya, Sena (UBT) MLCs Sunil Shinde and Sachin Ahir, former mayors Kishori Pednekar and Snehal Ambekar, and 20 other party workers.

The complainant was Purshottam Ingale, an assistant engineer with BMC’s bridges department, who is tasked with overlooking the work of Delisle Road bridge, a police officer said.

“He alleged that the work of lane markings, coloring and streetlamps was yet to be completed on the bridge, but he learnt from social media that it was inaugurated by Aaditya Thackeray along with other party workers, thus endangering the lives of several people who later used the bridge. They removed the barricades, entered the bridge, and declared it open for the people,” the police officer said.

On Thursday night, Thackeray posted on social media a photograph of himself walking on the second carriageway of the bridge and carrying a saffron flag, with a message, “We don’t want VIPs of “khokhe sarkar” (a pejorative reference to the Shinde government), people are hassled.”

A case under section 143 (unlawful assembly), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 447 (criminal trespass) of the Indian Penal Code had been registered, the police officer added.

At the press conference, Aaditya attacked two guardian ministers of Mumbai – Deepak Kesarkar and Mangal Prabhat Lodha – and said they had encroached upon the BMC premises and cases must be registered against them. The two ministers have set up their offices in the civic headquarters.

Reacting to the development, the ruling alliance called Aaditya’s action a political gimmick.

“Till date, Aaditya Thackeray has not opened his public relations office in his constituency and today he is pretending to be a well-wisher of the people,” Shiv Sena leader Manisha Kayande said.

BJP MLA Nitesh Rane said, “Aaditya Thackeray illegally inaugurated the bridge. He never bothered about Mumbaikars while in power as he was busy in Bollywood parties. He must remember that Mumbai belongs to Mumbaikars. Such publicity gimmicks would not be tolerated.’’