The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray expressed concerns over alleged corruption within the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), leading to a breakdown in civic services after the initial monsoon showers. The party highlighted two tragic incidents in Mumbai – a schoolboy’s death due to a fallen tree in Chembur and a man’s demise in an open manhole in Sakinaka. Public outcry has grown, urging not just the resignation of BMC Commissioner Ashwini Bhide but also the filing of culpable homicide charges against the civic body’s political leaders.
The editorial accused the ruling BJP and its allies of hypocrisy, cruelty, and corruption, contrasting the current situation with the previous Shiv Sena administration’s more vigilant approach. It pointed out a resurgence of an unaccountable system fostering kickbacks and corruption among officials. Internal strife within the ruling alliance intensified as Deputy Mayor Sanjay Ghadi demanded the BMC commissioner’s resignation, blaming her for the city’s woes.
The editorial also criticized the governance vacuum, citing political distractions like a BJP leader pressuring the BMC to remove Bangladeshi immigrants, a task falling under the Union Home Ministry’s purview. It highlighted the BMC’s lackluster pre-monsoon preparations, including incomplete drain cleaning and road repairs, leading to tree uprooting and traffic chaos. The editorial questioned the BMC’s reported 104% drain desilting completion and the commissioner’s handling of civic issues.
Amid mounting criticism, BMC Commissioner Ashwini Bhide instructed the police to take action against negligent contractors responsible for the recent fatalities, the editorial disclosed.
