Dahisar MLA takes ‘holy water’ route for Narendra Modi, Shivaji

Mumbai: By hell or high water, some of our politicians won't miss an opportunity to grab the limelight and be in the thick of things.

A BJP MLA from Dahisar, Manish Chaudhari is fetching “holy water” from all the religious places in her constituency so that she can hand it over to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the inauguration of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj memorial site in the middle of the Arabian Sea on December 24.

Ms Chaudhari claims that Shivaji Maharaj had visited Dahisar and there exists a famous Gamdevi temple too. “I am collecting water from all the religious places and it will be given to Modiji for the abhishek,” she said.

However, Ms Chaudhari's staunch opponent, Congress' women wing president Sheetal Mhatre has mocked the “holy water” stunt. “She is using tap water and playing with religious sentiments,” Ms Mhatre alleged.

Undeterred by her detractors, Ms Chaudhari has created a fancy chariot, which she plans to roll out on the streets of Dahisar on Thursday. The chariot adorns pictures of local MP Gopal Shetty, Mr Modi, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Ms Chaudhari herself. Laughing at Ms Chaudhari's claims, Ms Mhatre said, “She is an outsider. She came from Palghar. I was born here and have stayed all my life in this area. I would have known if Shivaji Maharaj had come to this place.”

The Congress has watered down Ms Chaudhari's “holy water” collection plan. “She is playing with the religious sentiments of the people. What is the use of collecting water from all these places, instead she should talk about development? All this is being done with an eye on the BMC polls,” Ms Mhatre said.