Mumbai: Video of Manoj Kotak being mobbed near Ghatkopar surfaces

A still from the video that surfaced on social media

Following the vandalisation of BJP's Mumbai North East candidate Manoj Kotak's rath vehicle two days ago and the controversy over his use of drone for campaigning, a video of Kotak being mobbed while facing public opposition during one of his rallies near Ghatkopar has come to the fore.

While the BJP dismissed the video on social media as an "old" one, it shows residents, including women, protesting against Kotak, who then hurriedly gets back into his rath vehicle. The video also shows sitting Member of Parliament Kirit Somaiya and BJP leader Pravin Chheda accompanying Kotak.

The protestors are heard shouting and questioning the campaigning team over BJP's "acche din." One woman is heard saying, "You have put us in hell. You came as a public representative and do not even wait to hear our grievances. This is not fair." Another woman, upset with the security situation, shouted that citizens were being treated like terrorists by the government.

While Chheda is seen pacifying the crowds in the video, Kotak simply walked back to his vehicle. BJP leaders dismissed it as a stray incident. "False news is being spread. It's mischievous. No such protest happened," Vivekanand Gupta, secretary, BJP Mumbai, told mid-day.

Three-time corporator Manoj Kotak has been fielded by the BJP. File Pic

Controversy's child

Kotak, a three-time corporator, has been fielded by the BJP in lieu of sitting MP Kirit Somaiya from Mumbai North East after the Shiv Sena opposed Somaiya's candidature over his remarks against Sena president Uddhav Thackeray during the run-up to the 2017 Mumbai municipal elections.

Two days ago, the BJP's North East cell had lodged an official written complaint with the Shivaji Nagar police station regarding unidentified political party workers vandalising the LED decorated election rath of Kotak near the new Shivaji Nagar bus depot in Govandi. The miscreants used blade/knife to slash the poster of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the complaint stated. A week ago, Kotak was also critiqued for using a drone for campaigning.

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