Mumbai, Apr 22 (PTI) A backlash over a viral video of a woman berating Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan for the traffic jam caused by a BJP rally over the reservation bill in Mumbai put the ruling party on the backfoot on Wednesday, with the minister stating that her anger was justified to “some extent”.
He, however, emphasised that her language was inappropriate, ruling out any legal action against her.
City Mayor Ritu Tawde, who belongs to the BJP, expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to commuters by Tuesday’s rally in Worli area of south Mumbai as the police registered a case against the organisers for alleged violation of norms.
As the video of the woman’s outburst went viral, opposition parties targeted the saffron party, with Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi lauding the woman — who had got stranded in a traffic jam while waiting to pick up her child — for ‘showing a mirror’ to the minister.
The incident occurred in the upscale Worli area on Tuesday when Mahajan was speaking to reporters at a rally organised by the saffron party to target opposition parties over the defeat of the Constitution Amendment Bill to fast-track the implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
An agitated woman confronted the BJP minister, shouting at him for blocking roads and causing inconvenience to commuters.
“Get out of here. You are causing a traffic jam,” she said, asking why the rally could not be held at the nearby open ground.
After Mahajan tried to pacify her, she returned and continued her tirade, saying, “Did you not understand? What is wrong with you? There are hundreds of people waiting.” When a police official intervened, she snapped at him, refusing to engage and demanding that no one speak to her.
Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal shared the video on X and accused the BJP of misleading women for political gains.
Sapkal also alleged on Wednesday that after facing embarrassment, BJP workers threatened the journalists who recorded the viral video.
Mahajan admitted that some commuters did face inconvenience, and added that he had apologised to the woman on the spot and also asked the police not to take any harsh action against her.
“It is true that there was traffic congestion as thousands of women participated in the march. But the woman who came there was very angry and spoke in a language that was not appropriate. Even when we told her the road would be cleared in 10-15 minutes, she was not ready to listen and, in anger, even threw a bottle,” the BJP leader claimed.
The protest, held after obtaining necessary permissions, saw participation of around 15,000 to 20,000 women, which made some congestion unavoidable, he said, denying any shortcoming in the police’s planning or allegations of “VIP culture”.
“I understand that she was in a hurry to pick up her child, and her anger is justified to some extent. But the way she reacted, using such language and throwing a bottle, was wrong. However, I do not think any legal action should be taken against her,” he said.
Mayor Tawde said in a post on X that the ‘Mahila Janakrosh Morcha’ had been organised after obtaining all necessary permissions. Its objective was to oppose attempts to dilute women’s political rights, she said.
“Proper planning was also done by the police and the transport department to avoid inconvenience to citizens and traffic. Still, as a first citizen of Mumbai, I apologise for the inconvenience caused to some citizens,” she stated.
The mayor also said that thousands of women from across the state participated in the protest despite the summer heat, and it was an outpouring of anger over issues concerning women’s rights and representation.
“Therefore, we hope that the woman who faced inconvenience, as well as other citizens, will understand the anger of those who participated in the protest march,” Tawde said.
Worli Police, meanwhile, registered a case against the organisers of the BJP rally. Necessary permissions had been taken for the event, but certain rules were violated, said a police official.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi accused the BJP of being insensitive to the travel woes of Mumbaikars.
“In Mumbai, the daily commute includes hours of being stuck in traffic jams and instead of understanding the fast losing patience at these gatherings/VIP movements that hold up traffic, the ruling dispensation doesn’t seem to care, even the minister’s attitude is so disrespectful and dismissive,” said the former Rajya Sabha member in a post on X.
“Hats off to the lady from Mumbai who showed a mirror to Minister Girish Mahajan and BJP protestors for blocking traffic to carry out their political protest,” Chaturvedi added.
She slammed the BJP for protesting on the streets instead of a designated ground, wondering whether permission was obtained for the demonstration.
Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad said the woman confronting the BJP minister was an example of “real women’s power”.
CPI(M) politburo member from Maharashtra, Prakash Reddy, on Wednesday questioned whether the protest had indeed received official permission.
In a social media post, Reddy asked whether Mahajan was “speaking the truth” about obtaining permission, stating that police usually deny requests for rallies in south Mumbai, citing court orders and instead direct organisers to hold protests at Azad Maidan.
“If permission was granted, why is it not given to others? And if the march blocked traffic despite conditions, why have the police not registered a case against Mahajan and other BJP leaders?” Reddy asked. PTI ND KK MR PR DC GK NR KRK NSK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.