‘Did I Drive The Auto-Rickshaw, Did I Push Him?’: Pune Mayor Manjusha Nagpure Faces Criticism Over Yerawada Death | WATCH

Pune: Pune Mayor Manjusha Nagpure has drawn criticism for her response to questions about the death of a 69-year-old man who fell into an open drainage excavation in Yerawada. Nagpure questioned why she was being held responsible for the incident and said she was neither a contractor nor the person who pushed the victim or drove the auto-rickshaw involved.

Her remarks have triggered criticism over the accountability of elected representatives for civic work and public safety. Mukund Kirdat described the Mayor’s response as irresponsible and said it raised serious questions about who would take responsibility if civic authorities and public representatives distanced themselves from such incidents.

Mayor questions responsibility for accident

The controversy follows the death of Pradeep Laxman Pardeshi, who fell into an excavation near Chitra Chowk vegetable market in Yerawada on Oct 17. He reportedly lost his balance while trying to avoid an approaching auto-rickshaw. He later died during treatment.

In a conversation with a LS Marathi news reporter on a voice call, Nagpure questioned why she was being asked about the incident. “Am I a contractor? Did I push that person? Was I driving the auto-rickshaw?” she said, according to the conversation.

The reporter responded that the media’s role was to present facts and ask public representatives for their views on issues affecting citizens. The reporter also questioned whether the Mayor believed the media should refrain from reporting what had happened.

Nagpure then asked the reporter what she was expected to do and pointed out that she had not called the media. The exchange centred on the Mayor’s response to questions about the incident and the responsibility of the civic administration.

Kirdat questions civic accountability

Criticising the Mayor, Kirdat said her remarks were aggravating and irresponsible. He argued that the Mayor, as the city’s elected representative and First Citizen, should address questions about public safety and civic administration.

He said the Mayor’s argument could allow other officials to avoid responsibility as well. Drawing a comparison with the municipal commissioner, Kirdat said officials could similarly claim that they had not personally dug a pothole or carried out the work.

“If neither the administration nor the elected representatives take responsibility, who will look after the citizens of Pune?” he asked.

Kirdat said the Mayor’s response reflected a lack of accountability among public representatives. He also urged citizens to consider the quality of leadership responsible for the city’s administration.

Civic worksite safety under scrutiny

The incident has raised questions about safety measures at the site where the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) was carrying out drainage work. The excavation was reportedly several feet deep, raising concerns about whether adequate precautions had been taken to protect pedestrians.

The focus is now on accountability for the conditions at the worksite and the steps taken to prevent similar incidents.

The controversy over Nagpure’s remarks has added a political dimension to the incident, with criticism centred on whether elected representatives should address questions about civic failures rather than limit responsibility to those who directly carried out the work.