Assault on BMC official: Anil Parab booked, 4 UBT Sena workers held

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab at a Bandra court in Mumbai on Tuesday. (Amit Chakravarty)

On Monday, a group of Shiv Sena (UBT) workers allegedly assaulted a sub-engineer in the H/East (HE) ward, where Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials demolished a Sena branch office on June 22. The ward in western suburbs covers the Bandra (East) and Santacruz areas.

According to former corporator Haji Halim Khan, a delegation of Sena (UBT) workers visited the ward office along with former minister Anil Parab to raise complaints related to a water crisis and illegal encroachments

“We went to meet the ward officer. However, during the course of the meeting, the official who led the shakha demolition operation last week was called. He behaved very rudely with us, following which a verbal duel broke out between our workers and the official,” Khan told The Indian Express.

He said that during the demolition drive, local party workers urged civic officials to allow them to vacate the branch office. Khan alleged they were not given time to take out their belongings and that a picture of the late Bal Thackeray, founder of the Shiv Sena, was damaged.

“Damaging Balasaheb’s picture was a deliberate attempt to hurt our workers’ sentiments… This shows the civic administration is working at the behest of ruling party members. Despite illegal constructions taking place at thousands of places in our ward, action is taken only against us even though ours was a legal construction,” Khan said.

“Today’s incident was a repercussion of last week’s demolition drive. Thankfully, the security official intervened and the officer could be taken out. The party workers are alleging that we are targeting them specifically, which is not the fact. We demolished multiple structures, including an unauthorised taxi and rickshaw stand. We will take legal action in due course,” an official said, requesting anonymity.

Hitting out at the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government for allegedly disrespecting Bal Thackeray and Shivaji Maharaj, Parab said they were not denying the responsibility of the attack on BMC official and were “willing to face action”.

“The march was held to raise the issues of the people. The government should feel ashamed that they are ruling in the name of Balasaheb and that same Balasaheb was insulted by BMC officials. The photo of Balasaheb and the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj were not allowed to be removed. What kind of case will be filed against these officers who insulted the national heroes,” said Parab.

Adding that they will face police action, Parab said, “We have not denied the responsibility for the attack. Balasaheb Thackeray has been given the status of national hero and still how can you tolerate his insult? The agitation will continue until action is taken against the officer. The assault on the officer was an outburst, a natural reaction. So let’s face the action. Four of our workers have been arrested. If you want to arrest me too, tell me, I will be present at the police station.”

A group of Shiv Sena (UBT) women workers also staged a protest in Santacruz (East) on Tuesday, demanding the release of their party colleagues who were arrested in connection with the alleged assault.