Aaditya hits back at Shinde government, talks about BMC scams in last one year

The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader alleged that the cronies of those in power were looting the BMC, and issued a veiled threat to civic officials who were possibly a part of it. The Thackeray scion led a protest march to the BMC to highlight the alleged corruption in the civic body after the tenure of its elected representatives ended in February 2022

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday alleged that the cronies of those in power were looting the BMC, and issued a veiled threat to civic officials who were possibly a part of it.

Mumbai, India - July 1, 2023: Shivsena ( UBT )leader Aditya Thackeray along with party leaders and party workers, staged a "Dhadak Morcha" and protest near BMC office in Mumbai, India, on Saturday, July 1, 2023. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

The Thackeray scion led a protest march to the BMC on Saturday to highlight the alleged corruption in the civic body after the tenure of its elected representatives ended in February 2022. Civic elections have not been held since then, and the BMC is being run by municipal commissioner I S Chahal, who has been appointed as administrator by the state government.

The Shiv Sena (UBT), which was in power in the BMC for over two decades, is locked in a bitter tussle with the Shiv Sena-BJP government in the run-up to the civic polls. The latter recently ordered a probe by a special investigation team (SIT) of the Mumbai police, following a CAG report highlighting alleged corruption in the BMC during the Covid pandemic when the Thackeray faction was ruling. Recently the Enforcement Directorate (ED) began an investigation into this, and raided the residence of Aaditya’s close aide Suraj Chavan.

It is against this background that the Thackeray faction has taken an aggressive stand against the ruling alliance. The city BJP had also planned a counter-morcha called ‘Chor machaye shor’ (The thief protests) at Dadar, but this was cancelled due to the bus accident in Buldhana.

Addressing a well-attended rally near the BMC headquarters, Thackeray launched an attack on chief minister Eknath Shinde who, as urban development minister, directly controls the BMC. “Builders are given a red carpet welcome but BMC officers have no time to meet common people,” he said. “Those in power want to distribute contracts to five contactor friends. They are also eyeing the BMC’s fixed deposits.”

Aaditya declared that more SITs needed to be set up to probe the affairs of civic bodies in Thane, Pune, Nashik and Nagpur (controlled by the BJP and the Shinde-led Shiv Sena). “Scams galore will come out through these probes,” he remarked.

The Thackeray scion alleged that two IPS officers were helping in breaking off former corporators from the Shiv Sena (UBT) to join the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and he had recordings of this. He also warned civic officials that they would have to face action if they were “hand-in-glove in the loot of public money”. “We have files on the corrupt activities of the BMC,” he said. “The day we come to power, we and the police will put you behind bars. Those looting Mumbai will be jailed.”

Thackeray also spoke on the alleged scam in road concretisation and street furniture contracts in the civic body in the last one year. He alleged that the Shinde government-controlled BMC had tweaked contracts to benefit five contractor friends.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders chose not to cancel the march as was done by the BJP, but they paid homage to the deceased in the accident on the Samruddhi expressway early on Saturday.

Responding to the Sena (UBT) street protest, CM Shinde told the media that the party was scared that its loot would be exposed and had thus staged the protest “drama”. “The location of the protest was incorrect,” he said sarcastically. “It should have been held from Matoshree 1 to Matoshree 2 (the Thackerays’ two bungalows in Kalanagar) because that is where everything happened, and they are the ones who know everything.”

Shinde also said that the protest was organised after the Enforcement Directorate’s inquiry into the alleged Covid scams began. “One wonders whether the Covid centres were set up to kill people or treat them,” he said. “From doctors to medicines, everything in the centres was bogus. Even the body bags were purchased at an exorbitant price. Now that an inquiry is being conducted into this shameless loot, some people are scared.”

Shinde said the Sena (UBT) was spreading misinformation about corruption in the BMC and the use of the BMC fixed deposits. “The BMC FDs are public money and not private property,” he said. “After ruling the BMC for 15 years, they are talking of corruption. When our government came to power, the BMC had ₹77,000 crore in FDs, which has gone up to ₹88,000 crore in one year. People know the truth and will not fall prey to their false narratives.”

Sources in the BMC said that BMC commissioner I S Chahal would hold a press conference on Sunday noon to deny all the charges levied by Thackeray.