4 min readMumbaiJul 4, 2026 10:14 AM IST
First published on: Jul 4, 2026 at 10:14 AM IST
A political slugfest broke out in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) after Mumbai’s mayor, Ritu Tawde alleged that Kishori Pednekar, Shiv Sena (UBT) councillor and leader of opposition (LoP) in the BMC entered into her office, in her absence, without her permission and took photographs and video recordings of important documents. Meanwhile, speaking with The Indian Express, Pednekar said that she had gone to the Mayor’s administrative office to follow up on letters that were sent by the opposition leaders.
The Mayor’s office is located on the first floor of the civic headquarters. The office comprises the main hall and a cabin of the Mayor. The hall houses the Mayor’s administrative office where officials from the municipal secretary (MS) department oversees official correspondences and paperworks. This hall also has an entry to the corporation hall where the BMC’s proceedings take place.
Addressing reporters at her office in the civic headquarters, Tawde said Pednekar entered the Mayor’s office while she was away inspecting manholes following recent rain-related incidents.
“I was out overseeing manhole inspection work when Kishori Pednekar came to my cabin. She may claim she did not enter my cabin, but the entire office area, from here (the Mayor’s chamber) to the main entrance of the hall, is part of my cabin,” Tawde said.
She alleged that CCTV footage showed Pednekar’s associate panning a camera across the office instead of focusing only on a specific document.
“If someone only wanted to check a letter, why was the camera moved across all four corners of the cabin? This raises serious questions. It appears to have been a recce or an attempt to photograph important documents,” Tawde alleged.
Calling it an unprecedented breach of conduct, the Mayor said no Leader of the Opposition in the history of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation had behaved in such a manner. She said she would lodge a formal complaint at the Azad Maidan Police Station and seek a detailed investigation into the alleged misconduct.
Meanwhile, Pednekar, a former mayor, said that she only went to the hall which houses the Mayor’s administrative office.
“For the last three days several areas in Mumbai have been facing waterlogging issues. We (opposition) have written letters to the Mayor seeking intervention and we haven’t received any call or reply from her office. Today, I went into the hall to follow up about the letters that I have sent with the officials of the MS department and I didn’t even go near the Mayor’s cabin,” Pednekar told Express.
Pednekar served as the former Mayor of Mumbai between 2019 and 2022 also stated that the hall is a common arena where any corporator holding office can step in. She also maintained that this hall also serves as a waiting area for people who visit the Mayor.
“I am not an outsider, I am a colleague to the incumbent Mayor who has also served the same office. I am very much aware about the protocols and I didn’t do anything that will attract legal ramifications. These allegations are being made by the Mayor to hide the ongoing civic incompetence,” Pednekar added.
Addressing reporters at her office in the civic headquarters, Ritu Tawde (left) said Kishori Pednekar (right) entered the Mayor’s office while she was away inspecting manholes following recent rain-related incidents. (Photos: Screengrabs from ANI Videos) 
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