After a civic engineer was beaten up by Shiv Sena (UBT) workers following allegations of insult to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray during the demolition of a shakha, BMC engineers protested outside H East ward office in Santacruz, on Tuesday.

Civic workers’ unions have demanded police action against MLC Anil Parab. The BMC administration has claimed that there were no photos or statues of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray in the shakha at Bandra East before it was demolished.

A picture given by the BMC of the shakha allegedly taken before it was demolished

On Monday, Sena (UBT) workers beat up a sub-engineer of H East ward in the presence of Parab at an additional municipal commissioner’s office in Chembur.  Parab claimed photos and a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray were not removed during the demolition last week. After the protest, leaders of engineering unions met civic chief Iqbal Singh Chahal.

“We met civic chief Chahal and he talked to senior police officers. We have demanded that the police take action against the mastermind of the incident soon. If no action is taken against Parab, we will decide on our next step,” said Ashok Jadhav, president of Municipal Mazdoor Union.

Secretary of Municipal Engineers’ Union Sainath Rajadhyaksha said, “There is need for a strict law like the law for doctors’ protection. We have demanded that any assault on BMC employees and officers be made a non-bailable offense on the same lines as assault on doctors.”

The BMC administration claimed there was no disrespect to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Balasaheb Thackeray.  “Before the demolition, the BMC requested people concerned to remove the photos and statues. The BMC acted after 2.30 pm.  When the team demolished the office, there were no photographs and statues,” said a BMC official.

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