India

Former BJP MP Gopal Shetty Protested BMC Demolition in Borivali East by Tonsuring His Head

By PTI

Former BJP MP Gopal Shetty cut his hair in protest after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) demolished 27 houses on a 3,400‑square‑metre plot on Swami Vivekanand Road in Borivali East. The houses had been built on land reserved for a BEST bus station. Shetty said the demolition, carried out early on November 4, was a "mockery of democracy" and that residents were given only a few hours to remove their belongings. He accused the local BJP leadership of not supporting the affected families and of failing to visit them. Shetty also criticised the BMC for acting hastily and for not providing the court with copies of notices and replies from occupants, as the Supreme Court had requested. The Supreme Court had earlier directed the BMC to remove encroachments and had ordered a freeze on the November salaries of Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide and other officials, but withdrew the salary order after the BMC reported the structures had been removed. The BMC issued show‑cause notices to its R‑Central ward assistant municipal commissioner, Praful Tambe, and law officer, Komal Punjabi, over alleged administrative lapses and reassigned the charge of its law department. Shetty said he would not attend BJP party programmes, including the Mumbai BJP’s annual Diwali gathering, but would continue to attend social programmes and would raise the issue with the BJP leadership in Delhi.