Shiv Sena (UBT) members thrash BMC’s assistant engineer over demolition of shakha

Shiv Sena (UBT) members assaulted an assistant engineer with the BMC?s H East ward who they accused of having their shakha demolished at Nirmal Nagar in Bandra East. The group had highlighted the supply of contaminated water in areas such as Golibar slums, Gandhi Nagar, Jawahar Nagar, Maharashtra Nagar and Dnyaneshwar Nagar in Bandra East before the assault. An FIR has been registered and four people have been arrested.

A group of Shiv Sena (UBT) members on Monday allegedly assaulted an assistant engineer with the BMC’s H East ward who they accused of having their shakha demolished at Nirmal Nagar in Bandra East.

Shiv Sena (UBT) members thrash BMC’s assistant engineer over demolition of shakha

Deputy commissioner of police (zone VIII) Dikshit Gedam said an FIR has been registered and four people have been arrested.

According to civic officials, Sena (UBT) workers had taken a morcha to the ward office in Santacruz East, highlighting the supply of contaminated water in areas such as Golibar slums, Gandhi Nagar, Jawahar Nagar, Maharashtra Nagar and Dnyaneshwar Nagar in Bandra East. A delegation then went to meet the assistant commissioner, Swapnaja Kshirasagar.

While a discussion with Kshirsagar was underway, some Shiv Sainiks asked for the officer who had allegedly razed a shakha last week and when assistant engineer Ajay Patil was identified, he was slapped, kicked, and shoved by them.

A video of the incident that has gone viral shows after Patil was attacked, BMC security personnel failed to act properly. While Kshirsagar immediately left the room, one of the guards took Patil in his arms and escorted him out.

Anil Parab, Sena (UBT) MLC and local vibhag pramukh, admitted that Shiv Sainiks did attack the BMC officer.

“Patil got our shakha demolished but left an illegal shakha of Shiv Sena headed by chief minister Eknath Shinde untouched. There were busts of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and party founder Balasaheb Thackeray. We urged the demolition squad to allow us to remove the busts, but they did not pay heed to our request. Our men were upset with this, and we cannot tolerate insults to our icons,” he said, adding the police have started arresting their workers.

Sources in Sena (UBT) said it was in fact Parab who first asked for the officer.

Joint commissioner of police (law and order) Satyanarayan said, “We will take strong action in this case. We are in the process of registering an FIR.”

However, Patil is scared to file a complaint, a senior BMC official said. “Patil fears that Shiv Sainiks will attack him again. Even Kshirsagar is scared and says she has a small child to look after.’’

When contacted, municipal commissioner I S Chahal said, “I have spoken to my officers, and they have told me that the police are taking action against the culprits.”

A deputy commissioner at the BMC, who requested not to be named, said Sena (UBT) wants to send a message that their illegal shakhas should not be touched, or else they will attack civic officials. “Kshirsagar should not have allowed so many people inside the cabin. As a precaution, the H East ward office should have called local police to prevent any untoward incident.”

Sainath Rajadhyakasha, working president, Brihanmumbai Municipal Engineers’ Union, threatened to stop their services if the attackers were not arrested immediately.

Reacting to the development, Shiv Sena spokesperson Sheetal Mhatre said, “Why are they creating politics in the name of Balasaheb. We installed a portrait of Balasaheb in the state legislature. They thrashed an engineer for demolishing a bust of Balasaheb, but what’s about Shiv Sena (UBT) members not following his ideals? This is a government that believes in law and action will be taken.”

Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said, ”If someone takes the law into their own hands, we will definitely act.”

Hitting back, Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray said, “There will be a reaction from followers if they put a hammer on Balasaheb’s photo.”

The police must act against Mahim MLA Sada Sarvankar who fired inside a police station, he added.

Thackeray meets leaders

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray met his vibhag pramukhs to review the preparations for a morcha the party has planned to take to the BMC headquarters on July 1. The protest against the alleged corruption in the BMC will be led by Aaditya.

“The police have denied us permission for the march. We will meet the police commissioner soon, but he may ask us to instead hold a meeting in Azad Maidan,” Parab, a former transport minister, said.