After the BJP’s attempts to corner Shiv Sena over alleged corruption in the pre-monsoon work carried out by the civic body, the Shiv Sena has hit back at its alliance partner saying it was equally liable.
The BJP leaders blamed the Shiv Sena for water logging in Mumbai last week. However, Shiv Sena’s Lok Sabha MP Rahul Shewale on Sunday said the BJP was in power jointly with Shiv Sena at the Centre, in the state as well as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Mr Shewale further said that if the BMC has to be held responsible for water logging in the city, then even chief minister Devendra Fadnavis would have to bear the responsibility as he was the head of all local bodies in the state.
BJP MP Kirit Somaiya has on Saturday filed a police complaint at the Mulund police station against the civic body’s drain desilting contractors for breach of trust, misappropriation of funds and cheating. However, Mr Shewale said the BJP was only playing politics and misguiding people by filing an FIR.
“Do not misguide people by filing a police complaint. As the head of the state, the responsibility is also with the chief minister as he is the head of all local body governments. Therefore BJP leaders should also be aware of their responsibilities before making accusations against others,” Mr Shewale said.
Mr Somaiya, while filing the FIR, claimed that the contractors did not comply with the contractual obligations and did only 30 to 40 per cent of the cleaning work. “This led to water logging in several parts of Mumbai on June 19. Mumbaikars have to face such days every year because the contractors do not carry out their work properly,” the BJP MP said.
However, Mr Somaiya denied that his decision to register an FIR would add to the problems between the Sena and BJP. He claimed that the contractors float such theories only to divert attention from their negligent work and avoid any action being taken against them.
Before Mr Somaiya, Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar has also targeted the Shiv Sena on the same issue and demanded that the BMC should carry out investigation into the Juny 19 water logging and pre-monsoon work carried out by the civic body.
