Mumbai: Not allowed to speak at standing committee meeting, BJP corporators stage protest

"Not allowed" to speak at the civic standing committee meeting held on Friday, BJP corporators staged a dharna protest outside the office of Shiv Sena corporator and Standing Committee Chairman Yashwant Jadhav at BMC headquarters. The corporators alleged that they were not allowed to speak in the meeting when a proposal regarding the development of roads and footpath for Mumbai was tabled before the committee.

Citing that there were many irregularities to point out in the proposal that was tabled, however, they were stopped from putting forth their points and the proposal was then passed in a hurry without any discussion, said BJP corporator from Mulund Prabhakar Shinde.

Shinde, who is also group leader of BJP in BMC said "There were proposals pertaining to the construction of roads and footpath beautification. We found some irregularities in the proposals and tried to raise objections but Jadhav did not allow us to speak and approved proposals hurriedly. In the past also, we were not allowed to speak on proposals of procurement of tabs, masks, expenditure on jumbo covid centre, oxygen plants, penguin enclosure and Byculla zoo maintenance, digital ticket of BEST. This is not the first time that the opinions and objections of BJP corporators were not heard by the committee chairman. We have already tabled a no-trust motion against the chairman in this regard. We are not against development works, but the corruption in it. We want them to let us point out the irregularities."

Refuting the allegations by BJP corporators Yashwant Jadhav said " I have a record of the last fifteen standing committee meetings anyone is free to see those. It is not that i have not allowed anybody to speak on any matter. I have given enough opportunities to BJP members to speak. Therefore, their allegations are baseless".

"BJP alleged that we have committed corruption to the tune of Rs.three lakh crore corruption in the last 25 years. But I want to ask them that for the last twenty-five years BJP was in alliance with us. Why are they alleging corruption now? And why no one can ask where the PM relief fund was used during the covid period. then BJP needs to give that details too," added Jadhav.

Meanwhile, the BJP corporators are also contemplating moving court against the alleged high-handedness by BMC's standing committee, Shinde and other BJP corporators said.