Ulhas mayor held for attacking scribe

MUMBAI, November 16: Elected representatives and the fourth estate are generally not known to be too fond of each other. But just how much l...

MUMBAI, November 16: Elected representatives and the fourth estate are generally not known to be too fond of each other. But just how much love is lost between the two became obvious when Ulhasnagar mayor Yashaswini Naik Shiv Sena today attacked a journalist at a press conference in UMC commissioner A Kale8217;s cabin in the presence of the commissioner, state urban development secretary Nand Lal and other officials.

When the urban development secretary, who was in Ulhasnagar for a routine visit, was speaking to the press, Shamin Ahmed, editor of a local weekly Clean Times submitted a memorandum to him charging mayor Naik and civic commissioner A Kale with corruption. 8220;The commissioner and mayor have made pots of money by not demolishing the illegal Amin hotel at Shivaji Chowk in Camp 3,8221; the memorandum alleged.

When Naik, who was sitting close to Nand Lal, had a look at the contents, she was so livid that she began hurling abuses and picked up a glass of water and flung it at the journalist. ButAhmed ducked in time, and a furious Naik then made handy misslies of a mineral water bottle and her own mobile handset. The latter did hit the mark, but didn8217;t do much damage. Nandlal and other offcials and corporators tried pacify the mayor, but it took some time for her to calm down.

By then, the press had staged a walk-out and raised slogans against the mayor and her husband Lauji Naik. Ahmed later lodged a complaint with Central police station. Ahmed has also alleged that Lauji threatened to kill him if he went to the police.

Speaking to Express Newsline, the mayor later said: 8220;These people who go around calling themselves journalists here are basically blackmailers,8221; she said, alleging, 8220;I am being treated like this because I didn8217;t give some people enough ads during the festival season.8221; She questioned the reasoning of raising the issue of Amin Hotel now when 8220;all these journalists have made money from the builder when the hotel was being constructed five years ago.8221;