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Shiv Sena UBT leader Arvind Sawant stoked row over his “imported maal” remark on Shaina NC, who switched from BJP to Shiv Sena.
Shiv Sena UBT leader Arvind Sawant and Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC (PTI Image)
Shiv Sena UBT leader Arvind Sawant has stoked a controversy after he labelled Shaina NC, former BJP leader who switched to Shiv Sena ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly Elections, as “imported in the country” (material), drawing the saffron party’s ire.
“She stayed all her life in the BJP and now look at her… We do not eat imported food here. (Imported material does not work here). Only original ‘in the country‘ works here. We have the original material (pointing towards the candidate),” he said while speaking to the media.
#WATCH | Mumbai | On Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Arvind Sawant says, “Look at her condition. She was in the BJP all her life and now she has gone to another party. Imported ‘maal’ does not work here, only original ‘maal’ works here…” (29.10) pic.twitter.com/O4DJ0YjQIQ— ANI (@ANI) November 1, 2024
Shaina NC reacts sharply
The Shiv Sena leader, who was at the receiving end of the ‘sexist’ slur, said that people will teach the rival party a lesson in the polls.
“This reflects the mindset of Arvind Sawant and his party. Does he think every woman of Mumbadevi is a in the country? On one side there is Eknath Shinde’s Ladki Behan Yojana, on the other side there is Prime Minister’s Ujjwala, Mudra Banking, Housing Scheme, where women are empowered. Droupadi Murmu, a tribal woman, becomes the President and on the other side Mahavinash Aghadi’s Arvind Sawant calls me ‘Imported in the country‘,” she said.
“I think this objectification of women is not only their mentality but Congress MLA Amin Patel was present there laughing…You will have to apologise at the Nagpada Police Station…Mahavinash Aghadi which is going to be ‘achieved‘ on 20th November,” Shaina added.
#WATCH | Mumbai: On Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Arvind Sawant’s ‘ foreign maal’ remark, Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC says, “You cannot respect a woman. You use such words for a capable woman who is in politics…Now you will be ‘behaal’ because you called the woman ‘maal’. Whether I… https://t.co/ASksHmuLak pic.twitter.com/VpZSLIPc3U— ANI (@ANI) November 1, 2024
Shaina was fielded by Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena from Mumbai’s Mumbadevi Assembly constituency for the November 20 polls. She joined the party hours later ahead of the Assembly Elections.
She was among the 15 candidates named by Shiv Sena on October 28. She was reportedly keen on contesting from the Worli seat. However, she was given the ticket from Mumbadevi after Rajya Sabha MP Milind Deora was fielded from Worli by the party against Uddhav Thackeray’s son Aaditya.
