BJP MP targets Sena over ‘graft’ in BMC

A DAY after Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray announced that his party will not enter into analliancewiththebjpfortheupcoming Mumbai municipality polls,battlelineshavebeendrawn between the two former allies.

BJP MP Kirit Somaiya on Friday said that his party will release a “black paper on corruption and scams” in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Uddhav’s son Aaditya, who is the face of his party’s campaign along with his father, was quick to hit back, saying that his party wants transparency in administration at the central and state government levels.

Whiletheshivsena-bjpcombine is at the helm of the civic body, the latter has, in the run-up to the February 21 polls, attempted to distance itself from allegations of corruption. The BJP has been running a campaign on the promise of “transparency” in civicadministration,whichisseen as a veiled dig at the Shiv Sena.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Somaiya said his party will rid the civic body of “mafia raj”. “Mumbaikars will never like the BJP to go with those who looted and handed over Mumbai to mafias. We are on a mission to eliminate mafia raj from the civic body, but some people with vested interests appear to be hurt by this. Many will be exposed when we release the ‘black paper’,” he added.

Somaiya later told The Indian Express, “One party has looted Mumbai a lot. We will now declare names of such people involved in these scams, we had been waiting for an appropriate

time. The party will release the black paper almost immediately after the election manifesto for the Mumbai polls is rolled out.”

Aaditya Thackeray took to Twitter to hit back at the former ally. On Friday, he tweeted, “In all the talks over transparency in administration, the Shiv Sena fully endorses it. We are keen to have it at even the Union government and state government level.”

“It will be hypocritical, childish, and opportunistic to target civic bodies and local administration without adopting more transparency at the Union and the state government levels,” he added. “The Standing Committee of the BMC and other municipal corporation could possibly be the most transparent government systems in the country. The committee comprises corporators from all parties, including the opposition. These meeting are also witnessed live by the media,” tweeted Aaditya.