A legislator of the ruling Shiv Sena in Maharashtra was caught on camera forcing a civic contractor to sit on a waterlogged street in Mumbai and asking his supporters to dump garbage on him. The video has triggered an outrage on social media, with the opposition BJP calling it “gundagardi”.
The incident took place in north Mumbai where several areas have been flooded following heavy rainfall.
Dilip Lande, the MLA from Kandivali constituency, justified his action, saying the contractor had failed to clean the drains properly. In the video, two men can be seen dumping garbage on the contractor as the legislator looks on.
#WATCH | Mumbai: Shiv Sena MLA from Chandivali, Dilip Lande makes a contractor sit on water logged road & asks workers to dump garbage on him after a road was waterlogged due to improper drainage cleaning
— ANI (@ANI) June 13, 2021
He says, "I did this as the contractor didn't do his job properly" (12.6) pic.twitter.com/XjhACTC6PI
"I had been calling up the contractor for last 15 days, requesting him to clear the road. He never did that. Shiv Sena people were themselves working on it. When he came to know, he rushed there. I told him that it's his responsibility and he should do it," Lande later said.
The BJP hit out at the MLA and asked if this would be acceptable to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The Congress, along with the Nationalist Congress Party, is a part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra.
“Mumbai Mayor says 103% Garbage Removed by BMC & Shivsena MLA Dilip Lande assaulting Contractor for not removing Garbage. Actual Gundagardi is for Commision from Contractor. BMC meeans Nexus of Mafia Contractors & Gundagiri of Shivsena. Is this acceptable to Congress Rahul Gandhi?,” asked former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya.
