Leaders and politicians of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition have now started to take potshots at the ruling Shiv Sena for carrying out pomp and show at the inauguration of vaccination centres.
After the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) decided to open 227 vaccination centres in all the municipal ward divisions, many Sena corporators have started their own vaccination centres in their wards that were inaugurated at the hands of senior Sena politicians and cabinet ministers.
Taking to his Twitter handle, Congress legislator from Bandra (east) - Zeeshan Siddique slammed the ruling Sena for inaugurating vaccination centres with grandeur.
"Everytime a politician comes to inaugurate a vaccination booth all the local corporators and party workers also gather at the venue which creates an unnecessary crowd risking lives of other. There is section 144 in Mumbai and we are fighting the second wave, the leaders of the Sena should understand that they are citizens too and not above the law," Siddique told FPJ.
"Why there is a need to glorify all these openings? In the midst of this pandemic we need these vaccination booths and it is our job as public representatives to make sure these facilities are set up, there is absolutely no reason to show off, if anyone's doing their job," he added.
Samajwadi Party legislator and BMC corporator - Rais Shaikh extended his support to Siddique and slammed the Sena in one of his tweet and blamed the civic administration for not taking any action of the violation of the rules.
"It seems the civic administration has become an extension of the Sena party. The inauguration ceremonies could be labelled as political gatherings and if the authorities are not acting towards stopping them, then this is nothing but sheer discrimination," said Shaikh.
Meanwhile, senior civic officials maintained that its the responsibility of ward officers to control the crowd in his jurisdiction.
"These opening ceremonies are being held at ward level and administration cannot centrally do anything. Also the initiative for conducting these events are taken by local leaders and its their moral responsibility to ensure that they shouldn't be doing anything that would be against the law," said the official.
"Knowing that the civic election is not far away, politicians irrespective of their party lines are hosting inauguration ceremony of vaccination booths too woo the voters in their constituency. This will go on if the pandemic lasts till the election season," said another official.
