City Congress president Sanjay Nirupam today dashed off a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis seeking dissolution of Shiv Sena-BJP ruled Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for "large-scale corruption" in the civic body and a probe into it.
Nirupam's demand comes in the wake of BJP MP Kirit Somaiya's veiled criticism of Shiv Sena, in which he alleged that the BMC was in the "grip of a powerful mafia" being controlled by a 'saheb' from Bandra.
Talking to reporters here today, Nirupam, the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC) chief claimed, "You name it and you will find the series of corruption cases in each department of the BMC. Nullah desilting scam, road repairig scam, dumping ground scam, fire brigade scam, tablet scam, waste management scam...All these scams are ultimately jeopardising the life of a common Mumbaikar."
Referring to Somaiya's remark, the Congress leader said, "Mr Fadnavis, now your own party MP Somaiya affirmed that mafia raj is prevailing in BMC, which we have been pointing out since long. The large-scale corruption is defaming the country's most prestigious civic body. Now these are the fit cases to dissolve the House of the BMC."
Elaborating on the three demands that he has put up before the chief minister, Nirupam said, "First of all, dissolve the BMC by invoking section 520 (D) of BMC Act 1888. Secondly, whosoever is responsible for corruption in BMC, register an FIR and act tough against them. Thirdly, set up a committee led by either a sitting or former judge of Bombay High Court to investigate into the large-scale corruption," he said.
He said that the Shiv Sena-ruled BMC had been dissolved in 1984.
Nirupam also took pot shot at Somaiya over his remarks, saying that the BJP leader should specify which 'saheb' from Bandra he was referring to.
"Somaiya should clarify who this saheb of Bandra is, as his own party saheb (city BJP chief) Ashish Shelar also lives in Bandra. So if he specifies the name of that saheb, things would be clearer," Nirupam said.
