Why is Centre eyeing BMC FDs if it has enough funds: Supriya Sule

Supriya Sule. File Pic

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Supriya Sule on Sunday asked why the Centre was keeping an eye on the fixed deposits of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) when it claims to have enough funds of its own.

Her statement comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public meeting in Mumbai, where he took a dig at the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction that controlled the cash-rich BMC for decades, saying that keeping money in fixed deposits (FDs) would not benefit the public and that the taxpayers' money should be used for development.

Referring to the PM's remarks, Sule asked, "Why should the FDs of the BMC be encashed? If the Centre claims that it has enough funds, why is it keeping an eye on the Mumbai civic body's FDs?"

The Lok Sabha member from Baramati constituency in Pune district was responding to a query by reporters on the sidelines of an event in Thane.

She also said that one should have faith, but not believe in superstition.

"Activist Narendra Dabholkar fought against superstition his entire life. He was even killed for it. Those in power should seriously do something against the kind of atmosphere prevailing in the state and the country at present. Whenever such (superstition-related) things happen, the rulers and the police should take action against those involved. These things should stop," she said.

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This is the Maharashtra of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Phule, Shahu Maharaj and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, she said, adding that incidents that malign the state should stop and should be fought against unitedly.

The NCP leader strongly condemned black magic and other superstitious practices.

"Women should get their due respect. One should have faith but not indulge in superstition. Our fight against superstition will continue unabated. This is our befitting tribute to Dabholkar," she said.

Speaking about Modi's public meeting in Mumbai held on Wednesday, Sule said that as a prime minister one has to respect him and take whatever he does in the interest of the city and the country in good spirit.

"He deserves to be respected as the prime minister of the country and not as the prime minister of any party," she added.

During his Mumbai visit, Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of infrastructure and healthcare projects worth more than Rs 38,000 crore meant for the metropolis.

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