AIMIM corporator’s ‘paint Mumbra green’ remark sparks row
AIMIM’s newly elected corporator Sahar Sheikh sparked controversy with remarks about painting Mumbra “green” in her victory speech. While rivals alleged religious overtones, she clarified that the reference was to her party flag as AIMIM made gains in Thane
Thane: The victory speech by Sahar Sheikh, AIMIM’s newly elected 22-year-old corporator in the Thane Municipal Corporation, has gone viral after she vowed to paint her locality “green”, with rivals claiming that her reference to the colour had religious overtones.
“In the next five years, every candidate in Mumbra will be from AIMIM. Mumbra must be completely painted green,” the corporator from the Mumbra locality in Thane said in her victory speech.
Following the controversy over her victory speech, Sahar issued a clarification, stating that her remarks were solely in reference to her party and not against any community.
“My party’s flag is green. Had it been saffron, I would have said we will paint Mumbra bhagwa (saffron),” Sahar said on Wednesday.
Reacting to Sahar’s remarks, Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC said she should clarify whether she was talking about a green and clean environment or about dividing people on the basis of religion.
The Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM registered significant gains in the Thane Municipal Corporation election results, bagging five of the 131 seats and outperforming parties like Congress, which failed to open its account, and Shiv Sena (UBT), which secured one seat.
Sahar, whose aggressive victory speech was aimed at NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad, entered the electoral fray after that party declined to field her as its candidate.
Sahar said the election results had shattered the ego of political opponents who, according to her, believed they could dominate the people of Mumbra.
Emphasising AIMIM’s ideological strength, she declared that only Allah was supreme and rejected attempts to undermine local leadership.
Sahar announced that the AIMIM aimed to expand its footprint across Mumbra and Mumbai, asserting that the area would be “covered in green” over the next five years.
She said that in the next municipal elections, all winning candidates from Mumbra would be from the AIMIM, describing the present victory as a demonstration of the party’s growing influence at the grassroots.
She also pointed out that NOTA had polled more votes than a rival party’s candidate in parts of Mumbra, terming it a sign of public disillusionment with traditional political forces.