A section of publicity-hungry BJP leaders in the twin-city have yet again stood exposed for their desperate attempts to garner cheap self-promotional media hype. This despite being the single-handed rulers of the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC).
Based on the complaint filed by MBMC engineer Prafful Wankhede, the Kashimira police have booked 11 people including former legislator- Narendra Mehta and two BJP corporators-Sachin Mhatre, Sujata Pardhi for defacing public property by installing illegal banners.
A case under section 3 of the Maharashtra Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 1995 and section 188 of the IPC has been registered against the accused. However, no arrests have been made so far.
The content of the FIR clearly states that the action followed in response to a telephonic call by Mayor Jyotsna Hasnale (BJP) to municipal commissioner Dilip Dhole while objecting to the bhumi-pujan (groundbreaking) ceremony of the Rs. 3.93 crore repair and beautification work of a lake in Kashimira citing her objection to the alleged breach of state government’s guidelines and MBMC’s own protocol in context to inaugural ceremonies of civic amenities in the twin-city.
However, the Mayor in her letter to the police and civic chief has clarified that the ceremony was organised after her consent. Fingers were raised at the Mayor by the civic body after she demanded the civic and police chief to scrap the FIR.
The organisers of the event had also pinned a flex banner on a street light pole near the venue, prompting the civic official to register an offence against the accused for defacing public property and disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant, officials said.
