Shiv Sena MLA Dilip Lande on Saturday, 12 June, forced a Brihan Municipal Corporation (BMC) contractor to sit on a waterlogged road in Mumbai and asked people to dump garbage on him for not getting drains cleaned properly.
The incident took place in the Saki Naka areas of Chandivali in the metropolis. Lande, in a viral video is seen asking the contractor to sit on the waterlogged road.
As the contractor is forced to sit, a person walks up to him and pushes him. The MLA is then seen directing two men to pour a pile of garbage on the contractor.
Lande, in his defense claimed that he had been following up with the contractor about the drainage work for the last few days, but the latter was not responding.
In a statement, Lande said that he was doing his duty as a people's representative, he also alleged that those responsible for preventing waterlogging in the area are not showing up to do their job. "People have placed their trust and elected me as an MLA. So to fulfill my duty, I came here with the chief of the local party unit and Shiv Sainiks to clean the drains."
"This work was entrusted to the contractor but he did not do it. That is why I have come out on the street to get the drain cleaned. We brought the contractor here because he did not do his job," Lande added.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders have lashed out at Lande. Vinod Mishra, a BJP corporator said, “The BMC and Mumbai mayor have claimed that all drains have been cleaned across the city. Now that their lies are coming out in the open, they are harassing small contractors. Can he take such action against the mayor and commissioner?"
Another BJP leader Kirit Somaiya called the action 'gundagardi'. He tweeted: “Mumbai Mayor says 103% garbage removed by BMC and Shivsena MLA Dilip Lande assaulting Contractor for not removing Garbage. Actual Gundagardi is for Commision from Contractor. BMC meeans Nexus of Mafia Contractors and Gundagiri of Shivsena. Is this acceptable to Congress Rahul Gandhi? (sic)”
(With inputs from NDTV)
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