Shiv Sena, BJP patronising BMC's 'corrupt' regime, 'getting commissions as share': Congress

With popular actor-comedian Kapil Sharma alleging corruption in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), former Congress Member of Parliament Sanjay Nirupam on Saturday said the Shiv Sena and BJP, both the parties, are in power in the corporation and they are, as a matter of fact, protecting the corrupt regime of the Mumbai Mahanagar Palika and are getting commissions as their share.

"I would congratulate Kapil Sharma for openly coming out with regard to the corruption prevailing in the BMC for a long time. There is a rampant corruption in all the department of the BMC, and without bribe you cannot get your work done here. The Shiv Sena and the BJP, both the parties, are in power in the corporation and they are, as a matter of fact, protecting the corrupt regime of the Mumbai Mahanagar Palika," Nirupam told ANI.

Stating that the BMC must be dissolved with immediate effect, Nirupam, president of the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee, said: "The BMC is mandated to provide the civic amenities to the Mumbaikars but, as a matter of fact, the BMC has completely failed as far as civic amenities provision is concerned. Whether it is water supply, road construction or cleanliness, the BMC has failed on each front and the reason behind the failure is the corruption prevailing in the corporation. Thus, I want that the BMC must dissolve with immediate effect."

Demanding a high-level inquiry after dissolving the BMC into its functioning, the Congress leader said, "Six months before, I had written a letter to the Chief Minister, which was never replied by him as usual, and again I am demanding because the BMC, which is being ruled by the Shiv Sena and the BJP, has completely failed and proved an incompetent body, so it is high time that it should be completely dissolved and a high-level inquiry should be set up and should be inquired by the CBI-like agency so that a complete corruption issue can be probed in detail."

He further demanded that Shiv Sena and BJP leaders must be taken under the ambit of the probe, because the whole corruption was being patronised by them and they were getting commissions as their share.

When asked about Kapil Sharma questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Achhe Din', Nirupam said, "He is right. Mr. Narendra Modi became Prime Minister with promise that 'Achhe Din' will come, but frankly speaking from Delhi to Mumbai nobody is feeling that. Corruption has increased twice or three-fold everywhere and in every office, whether it is Delhi office or Mumbai office.

"So, Narendra Modi has failed completely in providing 'Achhe Din' to the people, and that is why I am congratulating Kapil Sharma that he came out openly challenging that promise of 'Achhe Din', which is completely failed on the part of the Prime Minister."

In a series of tweet Sharma on Friday said, "I am paying 15 cr income tax from last 5 year n still i have to pay 5 lacs bribe to BMC office for making my office @narendramodi. Yeh hain aapke achhe din ? @narendramodi. (sic)"

However, he further tweeted, "I just voiced my concern on the corruption I faced with certain individuals..Its No blame on any political party be it BJP, MNS or ShivSena (sic)."

Sharma's tweet shook Maharashtra's political circles with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray taking immediate cognisance of it, assuring him of action.