BJP boycotts BMC function, workers protest near venue

MUMBAI: Pressure is mounting on the BJP leadership to get tough with Shiv Sena in the wake of the recent street protests by Sainiks against city unit chief Ashish Shelar and party chief Amit Shah.
On Wednesday afternoon, except for deputy mayor Alka Kerkar (BJP), all key BJP functionaries like Shelar, BJP group leader in the BMC Manoj Kotak, improvements committee chairperson Prakash Gangadhare, BEST committee head Mohan Mithbavkar skipped the inauguration of the Britannia stormwater pumping station at Reay Road, which was inaugurated by Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.
Kerkar was present, but due to “protocol reasons” said a party functionary. “Our workers are upset with the Sena for publicly condemning Shelar and Shah. There is a growing feeling in our party that we should give a fitting reply to the Sena's hooliganism,” a BJP functionary said on Wednesday. The BJP-Sena stand-off is a precursor to the 2017 civic elections which the saffron siblings are set to contest separately, said analysts.
Shiv Sainiks recently burned copies of ‘Manogat’, a BJP-affiliated magazine, for publishing an article pouring ridicule on Uddhav. On Tuesday, Sainiks burned the effigies of Shelar, Shah and state BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari, who wrote the controversial Manogat piece at Churchgate. BJP legislator Surjitsingh Thakur has warned that Sena's hooliganism may trigger a counter-reaction among BJP workers.
Some BJP workers staged demonstrations at the function, which was presided over by Uddhav. The Sena chief, however, refrained from taking potshots at the BJP. He praised the BJP for its role in completing the Reay Road pumping station. After the programme in his speech during the function, he said, “Last year we made tall claims after inaugurating the Lovegrove and Cleveland Bunder stormwater pumping stations but there were instances of stones getting stuck. Then we had to wait for the rain to subside before taking any steps.”