Slamming the ruling Shiv Sena and BJP over the utilisation of the city’s development funds, MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday said these parties have failed to provide basic civic amenities to the citizens.
He alleged that the elected representatives in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have misused the funds as there were no signs of development in any of the wards.
“People accuse me of giving hate speeches. However, if speaking truth and speaking against the government’s malpractices is hate speech, then everyone should give hate speeches. We have cried for 70 years, but we won’t let this continue,” Owaisi said while addressing his party’s second rally at Kurla ahead of the BMC polls next month.
He added that the government has even failed to provide basic facilities to Indian soldiers that live in inhumane conditions. “The government is not bothered about giving basic facilities like uniforms to the Army and they are talking about Digital India.”
“I was shaken by a report in a leading newspaper that how pregnant women were assaulted at the BMC hospitals by their staff while they were being operated. This is the condition of our civic hospitals. The civic body has allotted a budget of Rs 3,000 crore for the health sector. Sadly, all of the taxpayers money has gone down the drain,” he said.
MIM MLA Waris Pathan, while taking a dig at Congress’ loss and BJP’s win at the assembly polls in 2014, said, “The Congress and NCP have performed badly during their tenure, because of which parties like BJP and Sena have come to power.”
“Congress and NCP leaders had made false promises of being a secular party since most of their leaders like Sanjay Nirupam and others have earlier been a part of communal parties like BJP-Sena,” Pathan said.
The legislator recalled the controversial event of his suspension from the state legistlature after he refrained from saying, ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’, and said, “I dont care if they suspend me. Unlike others, I don’t require a seat to work for the people. I will keep working towards the development of the city.”
PTI