Former BJP MP Gopal Shetty has tonsured his head in protest against the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) demolition of 27 houses in Borivali East, alleging that the civic body acted in haste without giving residents time to retrieve their belongings.
He announced that he would stay away from political party programmes, including the Mumbai BJP’s annual Diwali gathering, while continuing to attend social programmes. “I have never seen such action in my public life. The BMC had issued show-cause notices to its R-Central ward assistant municipal commissioner, Praful Tambe, and law officer, Komal Punjabi, over alleged administrative lapses in handling the case. It also reassigned charge of its law department after the controversy.
Even a person like (26/11 terror attack) Ajmal Kasab was given eight years to face trial and an opportunity to approach the President after his conviction,” he said.
Speaking to reporters, the BJP leader said he had tonsured his head as a mark of protest as the affected families were not allowed to remove their household belongings before the demolition. He also said he would take up the issue with the BJP leadership in Delhi.
Shetty also made his displeasure with the BJP leadership public, saying party leaders from north Mumbai had failed to visit the affected residents or support him during the agitation. “I am definitely upset with my party. I will not hide it.
I have worked day and night to build the party, and if some people now consider themselves its owners, that is not right,” he said.
