Shiv Sena (UBT) to stage protest march against alleged financial irregularities in BMC on July 1

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 20 : Shiv Sena (UBT) will stage a protest march against alleged financial irregularities in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on July 1, said Maharashtra former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday.

"It's one year, why they were silent till now? They themselves have a theft corporation and now accusing us. For this, we and the public of Mumbai will stage a protest march to BMC on July 1," Thackeray told the media.

Maharashtra government on Monday set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) Committee to inquire into the alleged irregularities to the tune of Rs 12,024 crores in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) over the past few years.

The committee comprises the Joint Commissioner Of Police, Mumbai and two senior officers.

This comes after The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India pointed out irregularities worth Rs 12,024 Crores in the expenses incurred by the BMC between November 2019 and October 2022.

Notably, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Amit Satam had also made a formal complaint with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde demanding an SIT probe into the matter.

Earlier in March this year, State Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Maharashtra Assembly tabled a CAG report on this matter.

Many irregularities were mentioned by the CAG in the report.

Following this, Fadnavis placed some issues of the report in the House.

"The administration of the municipality is completely opaque and corrupt. This report is only about the work of Rs 12,000 crores but the whole work will reveal more shocking things," he alleged.

In the report tabled in the House, it was stated that apart from irregularities during the Covid-19 pandemic, it was found in the inquiry that 20 works were awarded without tender in two separate departments.

However, speaking on the Uniform Civil Code, Thackeray said that his party supports Uniform Civil Code but cautioned it will also cause problems for Hindus.

"We support Uniform Civil Code, but those who are bringing it should not think that it will only cause problems for Muslims, but it will also cause problems for Hindus and many questions will arise... Ban cow slaughter from Kashmir to Kanyakumari as there is no ban on cow slaughter. Former Goa CM Manohar Parrikar himself used to say that if there is a shortage of cows in the state, we will import them", the Shiv Sena UBT faction chief said.