Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Arvind Sawant alleged that the comment was misunderstood.
Mumbai:
A case has been registered against Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) Mumbai South MP Arvind Sawant for his derogatory comment against Shaina NC, who is contesting the Mumbadevi Assembly seat as a candidate of the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena.
Based on a complaint from Shaina NC, the Nagpada police station registered a first information report against Mr Sawant, 72. The Maharashtra State Commission for Women has also taken cognizance of the issue and asked the police to investigate the matter thoroughly.
“I'm not anyone 'meal' (goods). I am a daughter of Mumbai and have been working dedicatedly for the past 20 years. This is a rude comment from Sawant. I am one 'mahila' (woman), not a 'meal'. Everyone knows that the Maha Vinash Aghadi (a play on the opposition party Maha Vikas Aghadi) has no respect for women. The Mahayuti government is doing a lot for our women like the 'Ladki Bahin' programme,” said Shaina NC.
She warned that the people of Mumbadevi constituency would give a befitting reply to Mr Sawant, who, she claimed, had won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections on the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Though Shaina NC, 52, was earlier a senior BJP leader, due to seat adjustments she joined the Shiv Sena and got the ticket for the prestigious Mumbadevi seat, where she is contesting against three-term Congress MLA Amin Patel and BJP rebel, Atul H Shah .
Mr Sawant had made these comments during a media interaction a few days ago when he was asked about Shaina NC's prospects.
Reacting to his comment, Shaina NC said, “We (BJP) had campaigned for him (Sawant) and he was elected on our strength. Ask him where he came from. I am a 'laadli' (beloved) daughter of Mumbai, and I work for the people of the city. I don't need any certificates from Mr Sawant or the Shiv Sena (UBT).”
Mr Sawant later claimed that he had a fair comparison with Shaina NC and that she may have misunderstood his comment. “It refers to 'goods' but she could have misinterpreted it. I had no such intentions,” he said.
Mumbadevi (formerly Umarkhadi) elected Amin Patel in 2009 and subsequently during the 2014 and 2019 waves of BJP.
Atul Shah, a former MLA from the erstwhile Khetwadi seat, could be a potential vote-breaker and talks are currently underway to force him to withdraw and strengthen Shaina NC's prospects. Shaina NC's father was the late Sheriff of Mumbai Nana Chudasama and her mother is Munira Chudasama.
