KALYAN: Claiming that “the mayor is in office because of us”, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) corporator Pralhad Mhatre on Wednesday hit back at the BJP after the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) general body meeting was adjourned for the entire day over the removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photograph from a college in Pune by MNS workers.The adjournment triggered a political confrontation in the civic body, with the MNS accusing the BJP of indulging in “hypocrisy” and seeking to retain its share of power while raising the Pune incident. The Congress and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena also criticised the ruling alliance for allowing a political issue to overshadow civic matters.The general body meeting was adjourned soon after it commenced. BJP group leader Shashikant Kamble moved a motion seeking adjournment to protest the Pune incident.Mayor Harshali Thavil Chaudhary accepted the motion and announced that the meeting would remain adjourned for the entire day, saying the incident was condemnable.Mhatre tried to put forward the MNS’s stand but alleged that he was not allowed to speak.“BJP’s stand is hypocrisy. It wants to remain in power as well. We were not allowed to speak and the meeting was adjourned within two minutes. Does the leader of the House endorse a motion to adjourn the meeting?” Mhatre said.He said MNS chief Raj Thackeray had clarified at a meeting in Thane that the Prime Minister’s photograph should not be placed in a row alongside photographs of great personalities, but should instead be displayed on a separate wall.“Even if the BJP decides to leave the ruling alliance, it will make no difference to us. The BJP has joined the alliance only to get a share of power. It should decide now whether it wants to leave. The MNS and Shiv Sena (Shinde) are capable of running the corporation and have a majority. The mayor is in office because of us. The BJP is concerned only about enjoying the benefits of power and has nothing to do with people’s issues,” Mhatre said.UBT Sena corporator Sankesh Bhoir said the general body meeting was held only once a month and was meant to raise and resolve citizens’ issues.“The meeting can be adjourned for 15 minutes if required, but keeping it adjourned for the entire day is not appropriate,” Bhoir said.Congress group leader Kanchan Kulkarni also criticised the BJP, saying, “While remaining in power, the BJP should stop this drama. The general body meeting is meant to address people’s problems, and there is no need to turn it into a platform for political drama.”
