Mumbai: Aaditya Thackeray warns BMC chief of action in road construction 'scam'

Aaditya Thackeray. File Photo

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday sought to drag Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) chief I S Chahal in the alleged road construction "scam" and said the guilty will go to jail when his party returns to power in Maharashtra, reported news agency PTI.

Aaditya Thackeray said injustice was being meted out to Maharashtra by the Centre and the state government, and investments were being taken to Gujarat, reported PTI.

"I am firm on the (allegations of) Rs 6,080 crore road construction scam exposed by me. We will form the next government and when we come to power, those involved in malpractice will go to jail," the Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA said while addressing party workers in south Mumbai, reported PTI.

"This is an open and shut case of corruption. I want to tell the BMC administrator who is also the Municipal Commissioner that you are involved in the scam. Beware," Aaditya Thackeray said, reported PTI.

Chahal was appointed BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) commissioner by the erstwhile Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government. The Shiv Sena (undivided) controlled the BMC for 25 years from 1997 to 2022. Chahal was later appointed as the administrator of BMC after its five-year term expired and elections were not held.

Chahal had won accolades for his work during the COVID-19 pandemic when MVA was in power. However, he has been targeted by Aaditya Thackeray since the collapse of the MVA government in June 2022.

Thackeray had also alleged a Rs 263 crore scam in the purchase of street furniture.

Meanwhile, in November last year, the Mumbai Police registered a case against Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray and some other leaders of his party for allegedly "inaugurating" part of a bridge in Lower Parel area of the city without the civic body's permission, an official said, reported the PTI.

According to the PTI, the first information report (FIR) in this connection was registered based on a complaint lodged by a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official, he said.

The complaint said that the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray, MLCs Sachin Ahir and Sunil Shinde, former Mumbai mayors Kishori Padnekar and Snehal Ambekar, and 15 to 20 others inaugurated the second carriageway of the Delisle Bridge in Lower Parel on Thursday night without the permission of the BMC commissioner/administrator, the news agency reported.

The act was deemed illegal by the BMC as the bridge was still incomplete and not certified safe for use, the official said, adding that concerns were also raised over the potential risk the premature use of the bridge posed to motorists.

Based on the complaint, the FIR under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 143, 149 (both pertaining to unlawful assembly), 336 (rash or negligent act) and 447 (criminal trespass) was registered against Thackeray and others, he said.

(With inputs from PTI)