BJP and Shiv Sena Trade Blame After Mumbai Rain Deaths and Expressway Damage
Following heavy monsoon rains in July that caused at least 10 deaths across Mumbai localities like Chembur, Sakinaka, and Mankhurd, the ruling BJP and Shiv Sena alliance has shifted from a credit-claiming war over infrastructure to an active blame game. The downpour of about 200 mm inundated several areas and damaged the newly inaugurated 13.3-kilometer 'Missing Link' project on the Mumbai-Pune expressway, exposing severe vulnerabilities in the state's infrastructure.
The monsoon fury resulted in multiple fatal civic lapses. In Chembur, a schoolboy died when a weakened tree crushed a bus. An elderly man lost his life in Sakinaka after falling into an open manhole. In Mankhurd, a shanty collapsed, killing six people, five of whom were children.
These incidents occurred just months after the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena alliance actively competed to project Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde as the primary drivers of the state's multi-crore infrastructure projects. Now, both sides are shifting responsibility.
Speaking off the record, a Shiv Sena minister pointed to the BJP's control over the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), stating they should explain the lapses in the city. The minister added that the agency executing the damaged 'Missing Link' project must explain the failure.
In response, BJP leaders passed the buck to Shinde, pointing out that the urban development portfolio, which executes major infrastructure projects, is under his direct control.
While Fadnavis held an emergency meeting on Monday to review the situation, Shinde stayed away due to illness. BJP Minister Girish Mahajan defended the administration, saying, "every loss of life is painful," but stated he does not think it can be dismissed as a complete failure of the government.
The opposition has strongly criticized the ruling coalition. State Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal termed the deaths a "Sultani disaster" and demanded a culpable homicide case against the Chief Minister. Sapkal alleged the government ignored 13 points raised during former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan’s tenure regarding the 'Missing Link' project. NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi also condemned the government, with Chaturvedi calling the deaths "murder due to negligence."
