Even as large part of the city was choked by smog owing to the fire at Deonar, politicians have failed to raise the issue in the ongoing Assembly session. The government also did not react to it.
Even as large part of the city was choked by smog owing to the fire at Deonar, politicians have failed to raise the issue in the ongoing Assembly session. The government also did not react to it. Only sparring was witnessed between the BJP and Shiv Sena, who put the onus of the fire on each other. However, these allegations were made outside the Assembly.
BJP MLAs on Tuesday held a protest over the Deonar fire outside the Assembly targeting Shiv Sena, while Congress MLA Aslam Sheikh and Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi raised the issue in the Assembly. However, there was no statement from the government on the issue. Enraged over BJP allegations, Shiv Sena leader and environment minister Ramdas Kadam said that the fire was deliberately lit to defame his party, which is ruling the BMC.
BJP Mumbai president Ashish Shelar held the protest outside Vidhan Bhavan demanding that chairs be ‘vacated’ if the fire could not be stopped. The demand was allegedly targeting Sena, which is the main ruling party in the BMC. However, Mr Shelar did not utter a word in the Assembly, which is a space for MLAs to present their issues and voice their grievances.
In order to counter the BJP’s argument, Mr Kadam said some people were making such statements, eyeing the BMC polls. “The commissioner should probe the matter. I will reply on the issue of waste and pollution in Mumbai in the Assembly soon. I have doubts that the fire was a deliberate attempt to defame the Sena,” Mr Kadam said. But the Sena members too did not raise the issue in the house.
On the other hand, Mr Sheikh demanded that a Special Investigation Team be set up to probe the fire. He said that smoke was polluting the atmosphere and causing health problems to the people in the area. Mr Azmi said, “The people are suffering due to smoke in the area and are finding it difficult to live. There is no security at the dumping ground.”
