A woman who confronted Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan over a traffic blockade during a BJP protest in Mumbai’s Worli area has drawn widespread attention, with political leaders and activists demanding action against those responsible.
The BJP had organised a protest in support of women’s reservation in Parliament in the constituency of Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aditya Thackeray. The event led to a major traffic jam, with several commuters reportedly stranded for hours.
The woman, who was on her way to pick up her child from school, got down from her car after being stuck in traffic and confronted Mahajan, asking him to clear the road. A video of the incident has gone viral on social media.
In the video, she is heard telling the minister, “Get out of the public place that you had illegally blocked, causing traffic and inconvenience to the people.”
The police presence at the spot also drew criticism, with some alleging that officers remained passive instead of actively clearing the traffic during the protest.
The incident has triggered criticism, with demands for action against the organisers for allegedly violating norms and causing inconvenience to the public.
Social activist Anjali Damania questioned why the protest was held on a public road instead of designated spaces. “But the BJP, which is in power, seems to have special privileges. The FIR has to be registered against the BJP ministers and other leaders who violated the norms by blocking the roads and causing traffic and inconvenience to the people. Besides, the police should act fairly and freely, not for the BJP because it is in government. The action against the police should also be taken,” she said.
NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar criticised the BJP over the incident. “If the action against the minister and the BJP is not taken, several brave and fearless women will come on the streets against the BJP. BJP is in power, but that does not mean they bought the public road and places and treat people badly. The VIP culture of the ministers has to be ended,” he said.
Mumbai Congress president and Lok Sabha MP Varsha Gaikwad also backed the woman. “The lady did not hold back. The common public knows the BJP’s eventbazi. The lady was on her way to pick up her child, but had to wait for hours as the BJP had blocked the road in the name of women's reservation protest. BJP should now understand that no one is buying their empty rhetoric,” she said.
Calls have since grown for filing an FIR against the BJP minister and other leaders for causing public inconvenience and violating norms during the protest.