Mumbai: Shiv Sena hits back at RJ Malishka with parody video

RJ Malishka Mendonsa

Any Mumbaikar will agree that while the daily back-breaking commute on our pothole-ridden roads is hardly funny, a little humour never hurt anyone - except the BMC, that is. Days after Radio Jockey (RJ) Malishka Mendonsa released a parody of a Marathi song to poke fun at the crater-filled roads, the wounded civic body has slapped her with a notice over mosquito breeding at her home.

Since last week, the video has gone viral on social media and has already garnered 12.7 views on YouTube, with citizens getting a good laugh out of the funny lyrics, which are spin on the original Marathi song, Sonu Tuza Mazyavar Bharosa Nahi Kay. In the pothole remix, RJ Malishka sings, 'Mumbai tula BMC var bharosa var nahi kay' (don't you have faith in the BMC?), a question that is met with a resounding no from the back-up singers (see 'Lyrics').

The only people who don't seem to find the song funny are Shiv Sena corporators, who form the ruling majority in the BMC. New corporators Amay Ghole and Samadhan Sarvankar demanded legal action against Malishka and the radio channel where she works. On Tuesday, Sarvankar demanded that a Rs 500-crore defamation suit be filed against the radio channel that published the video online.

Fellow Sena corporator Kishori Pednekar made a video of her own to mock the RJ.

"Criticism should be constructive. And why should BMC be blamed for things for which the civic body is not responsible? There are other agencies also that are responsible for bad roads," said Pednekar.

Also read: BMC issues notice to RJ Malishka for mosquito breeding spots at her Bandra home

BMC officials inspected her home on Tuesday and found mosquito breeding spots

Surprise inspection
Malishka was in for more unpleasantness on Tuesday, when civic officials turned up for a surprise check of her home at the Sunrise apartment building in Bandra. During the inspection, they found Aedes aegypti mosquitos (carriers of dengue, chikungunya, etc.) breeding in plant pots. The officials issued a notice under Section 381B of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act, under which a person can be prosecuted for creating trouble for others by not taking preventive measures. The official complaint has been addressed to Malishka's mother, Lily Mendosa.

RJ Malishka's song

Rajan Naringrekar, insecticide officer at BMC, said, "We held a sudden inspection of the building and found two breeding grounds at the sixth and first floor."

This is not the first time a whistleblower has been hit back by the BMC. When comedian Kapil Sharma tweeted about an alleged demand from for bribes, he was rewarded with a notice for illegal constructions in his properties at Versova and Oshiwara. CM Devendra Fadnavis had promised to get to the bottom of the matter, but nothing came of it. Sharma was booked under the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning (MRTP) Act in Versova, and is embroiled in a court case in Oshiwara.

Which pokes fun at the city's crater-filled roads, has gone viral online. Pic/TANVI PHONDEKAR

Support from other parties
While Sena is on the warpath, the BJP, Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) have all come out in support of Malishka.

Photos: When BMC slapped Bollywood celebs with legal notices

Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar tweeted, "Completely unfair that authorities turn up at @mymalishka's house and find faults. Spoke to BMC commissioner and ward officers to bring peace."

Congress leader Nitesh Rane too tweeted in support of Malishka. During the BMC's Standing Committee meeting, SP leader Rais Shaikh said, "Malishka is a citizen and she only presented people's problem with this video. However, the BMC was prompt to find her home and send a notice for mosquito breeding. Now with this act, there is a general feeling that if anyone defames BMC, they will get a notice for mosquitos."

He added, "There are potholes on the roads. Why is the civic body not fixing them? Instead of wasting energy on this, the civic body should repair the potholes."