The Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP SP) on Monday held a massive protest against what it claimed was rampant corruption and mismanagement in the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), reported the PTI.
While the NCP (SP) took part in the “dhadak morcha”, which began at Gadkari Rangayatan and ended at the TMC headquarters, the Congress was conspicuous by its absence.
Thane is the stronghold of the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Slamming Eknath Shinde, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former Lok Sabha MP Rajan Vichare said the deputy CM was leading a group of “traitors”, according to the PTI.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led party`s Thane unit chief Kedar Dighe said that the protest morcha was just the beginning of several events that will be organised jointly with Raj Thackeray`s MNS.
“Both parties have come together for good,” added MNS Thane unit chief Ravindra More.
The goal was to rid Thane of corruption, said More`s colleague Avinash Jadhav.
NCP (SP) MLA and former minister Jitendra Awhad told reporters that a BJP MLA from the region had called TMC as the “seat of corruption”.
If Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis does not want to believe the opposition parties, he must take into account what his own party colleagues are saying about Thane`s civic body, Awhad said, as per the PTI.
The protest route saw heavy presence of police to ensure law and order.
While the Sena (UBT) and MNS have come closer over the past four to five months after nearby two decades of rivalry, a section of the Congress is opposed to any truck with Raj Thackeray.
Last week, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS had on Friday announced a joint protest on October 13 against alleged corruption and misgovernance in the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), fueling speculation of a possible alliance for the upcoming civic polls.
At a joint press conference, MNS leader Avinash Jadhav and Sena (UBT) leader and former Member of Parliament (MP) Rajan Vichare accused the TMC of rampant corruption, mismanagement, and neglect of basic civic infrastructure.
Thane is suffering from severe traffic congestion, unauthorised constructions, stalled projects, and administrative apathy, the leaders alleged, according to PTI.
Vichare took a swipe at Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who is also Thane`s strongman, and said, “Despite having a Rs 3,000 crore budget, the TMC is in debt. The city still lacks a dedicated dam for drinking water, even though someone who was CM and is now deputy CM represents this area,” the news agency had earlier reported.
(with PTI inputs)
