State environment minister Aditya Thackeray and the ruling Shiv Sena are often targeted by the BJP over the Byculla Zoo penguin expenditure issues.
To counter this allegation, the city Mayor Kishori Pednekar on Monday sarcastically replied to them, "If BJP teases Aditya Thackeray over Penguins, then can we call Ashish Shelar and Atul Bhatkhalkar as Gujarat penguins?"
The Mayor recently visited the Ahmedabad Science Centre where the local municipal corporation has brought six penguins from South Africa.
"Watching penguins is cheaper in Mumbai than in Ahmedabad," she said, taking a further dig at the BJP.
The Shiv Sena-ruled BMC had purchased eight Humboldt penguins from South Korea in 2017. Unfortunately, one baby penguin died days after its arrival at the Byculla zoo. Thereafter, a Rs 15-crore contract was given to maintain the penguin habitat.
The BJP had then targeted the administration and the ruling Shiv Sena over the huge expenditure for maintaining the penguins.
"Gujarat government spent Rs 264 crore to construct the Science City in Gujarat. The penguins have been kept in a separate enclosure. They have brought six penguins from South Africa, but in reality, there are only five penguins. When we asked, no one spoke a word about the sixth penguin," Pednekar said.
She alleged that every penguin enclosure has a different shape and the general public have to pay a separate charge for watching each animal.
The Mayor said that by spending just Rs 25-30, one can see the entire Rani Baug zoo. "There are no charges for senior citizens and handicapped persons. Even doctors of Ahmedabad who are looking after the penguins have taken their training from the Rani Baug doctors," Pednekar claimed.
