'Using Hateful Language, Should Focus On Mumbai’s Real Issues': AIMIM’s Waris Pathan Attacks New Mayor Ritu Tawde

Mumbai: AIMIM leader Waris Pathan on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on newly elected Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde, accusing her of using hateful language soon after assuming office and urging her to focus on pressing civic issues instead of making controversial statements.

Reacting to Tawde’s remarks on cracking down on illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya hawkers, Pathan said the BJP leader was making serious allegations without any supporting data. “She has started using hateful language as soon as she came to power. She does not have any data on how many Bangladeshi infiltrators have been detained or arrested,” Pathan said.

He added that the mayor appeared to be ignoring Mumbai’s core problems. “She doesn’t see the real issues of Mumbai. Pollution in the city has increased a lot. She should concentrate on her work,” he said.

Ritu Tawde Elected As Mumbai Mayor

Ritu Tawde was elected unopposed as the Mayor of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) earlier in the day, marking a historic shift in Mumbai’s civic politics. Her election ended the Shiv Sena’s 25-year control over the BMC and brought the BJP back to the city’s top civic post after 44 years. Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani formally declared her elected after Shiv Sena (UBT) chose not to field a candidate. Shinde Sena corporator Sanjay Ghadi was also elected Deputy Mayor unopposed.

Soon after taking charge, Tawde announced that action against illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya hawkers would be a top priority of her tenure. “As my first official act, I will convene a joint meeting with police and civic officials to identify and remove illegal Bangladeshi hawkers who have encroached on the city’s roads,” she said. Tawde also spoke about enhancing security in public spaces using digital systems and artificial intelligence and claimed that encroachments would be tackled by identifying fake caste certificates and bogus Aadhaar cards.

Pathan, however, questioned the focus of the new mayor’s agenda, saying Mumbai was grappling with worsening air pollution, civic infrastructure challenges and quality-of-life issues that required immediate attention. He warned against politicising the civic body and said governance should remain the priority.

Meanwhile, Tawde outlined a broader development agenda, including improving air quality, road concretisation, water supply projects such as the Gargai, Pinjal and Daman Ganga dams and initiatives like zero-waste wards, a toilet on demand policy, Gen Z internship programmes and a smart traffic priority system.

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