Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar tweets to attack Shiv Sena-led BMC

Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar

Tired of the Shiv Sena's continuous jibes at the Centre's proposal of a Smart City, Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar, took to social media to attack the Sena-led BMC yesterday. He tweeted, "Mumbai was the place where the LED idea also took root but now Mumbai has fallen behind badly. Our local bodies need to modernise."

Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar

This was an attack on the Sena, which had objected to the BMC putting white LEDs on Marine Drive, saying the charm of Marine Drive was lost due to the lights.

Shelar made a series of tweets in support of LEDs, such as the previous and "The Delhi roll out of LED has proven beyond doubt the superiority of LED over old lights. What stops Mumbai from adopting? REAL reasons?"

The BJP came out in full support of its leader. Chief spokesperson of BJP Mumbai, Niranjan Shetty, said, "The municipal corporation should upgrade itself, we are in the 21st century. No doubt Marine Drive was once upon a time known as the queen's necklace, but it was upgraded into a platinum necklace, and people have understood its worth. The LEDs helped save money and help capture better pictures on the CCTVs that are being set up across the city."

The Shiv Sena has been opposing the Smart City project. It will support it only if its 13 suggestions for it were accepted. Through Saamna, the party mouthpiece, the party has been taking digs at the issue.

Avkash Jadhav, the Sena Corporator who has been fighting for yellow lights said, "Shelar probably doesn't understand what is art and lacks the sense for it. Yellow lights keep the charm of Marine Drive intact."

Jadhav further added, "I have written to the CM to dissolve the existing Heritage Committee too, because people in the committee aren't serious about their work. For them it's an additional charge and hence they aren't very serious about the heritage of Mumbai. Professionals who understand the work must be involved in the work."