INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA and former minister Aaditya Thackeray hit back at the Eknath Shinde-BJP government and the BMC on Saturday over
the registration of an FIR against him and other Sena (UBT) leaders for inaugurating Lower Parel's Delisle road bridge on Thursday night,
before the official opening
Thackeray, who is an MLA from Worli and the bridge is in his constituency, said officials were reluctant to book him but were threatened
with transfers by "some people close to the CM".He said police acted "under pressure".An FIR was filed against Thackeray and Sena (UBT) MLCs
Sachin Ahir and Sunil Shinde and former Mumbai mayors Kishori Pednekar and Snehal Ambekar early on Saturday following a police complaint by
BMC assistant engineer Purushottam Ingle at NM Joshi police station under IPC sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 447 (criminal trespass), 336
(act of endangering life and safety of others) and 149 (offence committed to achieve a common object)
Thackeray slammed the state government, saying this is a "bullet train" government that will go to Gujarat by bullet train to watch the
"This is a government of builders and contractors and not for the common man," he added
Thackeray said this was the first FIR against him, and if it is filed for fighting for Mumbaikars and Maharashtra, then his grandfather, the
late Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, would be proud of him
Thackeray said the BMC had not filed an FIR against the cement concrete (CC) road contractor who failed to start work or blacklist the
company, but had registered one against him for inspecting the bridge and opening it as a local MLA
He once again said projects were being delayed deliberately for inauguration by VIPs
Thackeray said corrupt BMC officials who are looting the city will be sent to jail when Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government comes to power
"First of all, why are no cases filed against the guardian minister who encroached into the BMC? We heard that the municipal commissioner
In the last year, we brought the corruption in the BMC before the public
He has signed all these scams
Is such a person going to get promoted? When we went there the other night (November 16), there were some barricades
We proceeded after putting them aside
We took pictures and told the people that the road was open
This bridge was ready for 10-15 days
Even after all the tests the BMC was stopped due to lack of time for VIPs to inaugurate," he said
"Some cases have been registered against me and my colleagues since we were fighting for the rights of Mumbaikars..
If for the development of Mumbai and Maharashtra, they want to file cases against me, then they can hang me, I am ready for that, for the
development of Mumbai," Thackeray said
Municipal commissioner I S Chahal confirmed the FIR by sending a copy of the same
He told TOI no haste can be made in opening the bridge when works are still incomplete.In his police statement, Ingle, overseeing the bridge
reconstruction, said, "Around 9.50-pm on November 16, I learned through social media that Thackeray and his party workers removed barricades
from the bridge's south direction and performed a symbolic opening with coconut breaking, allowing vehicles to pass
This posed a potential life-threatening situation, considering the ongoing incomplete work
On the morning of November 17, my team and I reinstated barricades as lane marking and painting tasks remain unfinished."
