Stand-up comedian Kapil Sharma’s angry tweet to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the alleged corruption in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) boomeranged on him on Friday, with the Opposition MNS threatening to stall the shooting of his comedy show and the BJP hitting out at the TV host for dragging Modi unnecessarily into an unseemly controversy.
Though swift replies by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena’s youth wing president Aditya Thackeray assuring Kapil of action against corrupt BMC officials comforted Kapil in the morning, by evening, the Raj Thackeray-led MNS and other political leaders turned up the heat on him by demanding proof of the allegations.
Meanwhile, BJP MlA Ram Kadam filed a complaint against BMC with the Cyber Cell of Mumbai Police at BKC police station. Sources in police said that the complaint has been accepted and the police will soon summon the stand-up comedian to seek more details about the allegation he made.
The day began with Kapil dashing out a tweet saying, “I am paying Rs 15 cr income tax from last 5 years n still i have to pay Rs 5 lakh bribe to BMC office for making my office. Is this your ‘Achhe Din’IJ” @narendramodi”
Fadnavis, who was among the first to respond to Kapil, wrote, “Kapilbhai pls provide all info. Have directed MC, BMC to take strictest action. We will not spare the culprit. @KapilSharmaK9 @narendramodi”.
Equally cyber-savvy Aditya Thackeray tweeted, “Thank you for being an alert Mumbaikar. Request you to assist Mayor and the MC to help in the drive against corruption”.
Kapil thanked both Fadnavis and Aditya by tweeting: “@Dev_Fadnavis thank u so much for ur concern Sir.. Would like to come n discuss this matter with u in person ..” and “@AUThackeray thanks for ur concern Aditya .. will meet n explain u”.
As the day progressed, Kapil went on the defensive as the MNS threatened to stall the shooting of The Kapil Sharma Show till he named the officials who had demanded Rs 5 lakh for regularising the alleged unauthorised construction on his premises at Andheri (West) in north Mumbai.
“Whatever he has said, he has to prove…. We want Kapil to name the person who demanded bribe from him otherwise we will not allow shooting of his show. He cannot get away by making such allegations,” said MNS Corporator Sandeep Deshpande.
“The construction he has undertaken itself is illegal, he has damaged mangroves, an offence should be registered against him,” said senior MNS functionary Shalini Thackeray.
What turned the tide against Kapil was the fact that the Shiv Sena-ruled BMC released its July 16 notice pertaining to “illegal” construction allegedly undertaken by him wherein he had built an additional second floor on his ground plus one storey structure.
The notice said, “... whereas I am satisfied that the you have unlawfully commenced/been unlawfully carrying on, erection of building/erection of work...”
With no response from Kapil, the officials of BMC K-West Ward on August 4 demolished the structure.
With the BMC exposing his “illegal construction”, a chastened Kapil tweeted later in the day, “I just voiced my concern on the corruption I faced with certain individuals..It’s no blame on any political party be it BJP, MNS or ShivSena”.
Meanwhile, BMC’s Chief Engineer (Vigilance) Manohar Pawar sent a letter to Kapil seeking information and assured that the disclosure would be kept confidential. Asked whether BMC would act against the officials, Pawar said, “That depends on the response and after evaluation of facts”.
Meanwhile, the BJP hit out at Kapil for dragging Modi into the controversy. “If someone is paying Rs 15 crore tax for five years, their “achhe din” have already arrived. The fact that he is trying to save the bribe seekers by not naming them proves that he doesn’t want the society to be part of “achhe din” as well,” BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said.
BJP MlA Ram Kadam lodged a complaint with the Cyber Cell of the Mumbai Police seeking an investigation into Kapil’s tweet.
“My complaint would be forwarded to the Anti-Corruption Bureau by the Mumbai Police and Kapil is likely to be summoned for seeking details. After seeing Kapil’s tweet, I came here to register a complaint and request the police to ask him to disclose the names. The culprit should be found and punished…tagging and tweeting to the Prime Minister is not a small thing…all things need to be probed…even why the bribe was sought,” Kadam said.
Meanwhile, the Congress and NCP hit out at the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance which rules the BMC. “The BMC has been a den of corruption.. For the last 25 years, the two parties have been ruling the BMC. The civic e standing committee has become a sort of understanding committee,” Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam said.