Shiv Sena leader and Kalyan MP Shrikant Shinde on Sunday launched a scathing attack on former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and his MLA son Aaditya Thackeray, accusing them of looting Mumbai and pushing the 'Marathi manoos' out of the city in the last 15 years.
Shinde, the son of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, was addressing the party's 'Shakha Sampark' drive at Versova in Mumbai.
He sought to know why the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had acquired body bags during the COVID-19 pandemic period at a cost of Rs 6,719 apiece, whereas the same body bags were bought for Rs 350 each by the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC).
Shinde also accused Uddhav Thackeray of leading the BMC to become the most corrupt municipal body in Asia.
The Shiv Sena undivided ruled the BMC for more than 25 years. The party split last year following the rebellion by Eknath Shinde and 39 other party MLAs against Uddhav Thackeray.
"How is it possible that TMC buys body bags at Rs 350 each and BMC buys them at more than Rs 6,500 per bag? This is just one of the many instances of how the Thackeray family has looted Mumbaikars when people were dying," Shinde was quoted as saying in a release issued by the Shiv Sena in Thane.
"Uddhav Thackeray led the BMC to become the most corrupt municipal body in Asia. His 15 years in BMC made it the most corrupt civic body across the continent. It is time to think about what our Marathi manoos and our Shiv Sainiks gained under his leadership.
"Our Marathi people have to leave their city and go to either Thane or Kalyan-Dombivali. They are pushed outside Mumbai and only Uddhav and Aaditya Thackeray are responsible for this," Shinde said.
Instead of accusing CM Shinde, Aaditya Thackeray should first look into their 15 years of stint and give answers to people, he added.
"Those accusing us of being 'khokhe' (corrupt) should not forget that the SIT probe will soon reveal who received how many 'khokhes'. It will be clear whom the links of Suraj Chavan and Sujit Patkar will eventually reach in the ED investigation," he added.
The Mumbai police have formed a special investigation team (SIT) to conduct a probe in connection with CAG's report on Rs 12,000-crore worth contracts awarded by the BMC.
CM Eknath Shinde is always on the move and works tirelessly for public welfare, he said.
"Since Eknath Shinde himself is very active as a CM, the administration has also become active. The officers know that if they don't work, they will be taken to task. The CM will clean the nullahs of corruption by doing good work in the BMC. He has worked in every corner of the state in the last 11 months," he said.
Many decisions have been taken in a short span of 11 months which were not taken in the two-and-a-half years before that, Shinde said.
Maharashtra is blessed to have a chief minister that works among people day and night, he said.
"CM Shinde has taken a step to take the saffron flag forward. He is trying to take the Hindutva ideology of Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray forward," he added.
