Mumbai, November 23: The Mumbai Congress accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of trying to create religious tensions ahead of the upcoming BMC elections. Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad said the BJP was targeting MLA Aslam Shaikh only to protect the interests of real-estate developers.
Earlier in the day, members of the Mumbai Youth Congress held a protest outside the office of Mumbai BJP president Ameet Satam. Police soon reached the spot and detained several protesters. A video shared by Gaikwad on social media shows officers stopping the workers and taking action against them.
Speaking at a press conference, Gaikwad alleged that Satam was “spreading lies and issuing threats” against Aslam Shaikh. She also claimed this was being done to shield BJP minister and builder Mangal Prabhat Lodha.
In her tweet, Gaikwad questioned whether Mumbai belongs only to big developers and industrialists. She accused the BJP of threatening people with police cases and repeatedly trying to turn issues into Hindu–Muslim disputes. She said that when Aslam Shaikh raised concerns about poor families losing their homes in Malad, the BJP tried to hide its “land-grab greed” by creating a communal angle.
Gaikwad added that when Youth Congress workers protested outside Ameet Satam’s office, the Mumbai Police tried to stop their voices. She posted a video showing police action against the protesters and claimed that Congress spokesperson Rajhans Singh was put under house arrest after police arrived at his home.
She ended her message saying that the Congress will not be intimidated and will continue speaking up for the rights of Mumbaikars.
Varsha Gaikwad’s Tweet
“Is Mumbai only for Lodha, Adani, and Ambani? Homes of Mumbai’s people are being snatched away, and if you raise your voice against it, they threaten with police cases and have made a habit of starting Hindu-Muslim disputes. In Malad, when my colleague @AslamShaikh_MLA raised the issue of poor people’s homes, BJP, to hide their greed for looting land, stirred up a Hindu-Muslim controversy. We will not stay silent. Today, Mumbai Youth Congress protested in front of the office of BJP’s Mumbai president Amit Satam against this double standard of BJP and against the senseless talk and spreading lies against our colleague Aslam Shaikh ji, and see how an attempt was made by Mumbai Police to suppress the voice of our workers. By sending police to the home of our spokesperson @RajhansSpeaksji, he was placed under house arrest. BJP should know that we will not be scared by their threats and lies. We will continue to raise the voice for the rights of Mumbaikars.”
