Tiwari likens razing of shops to karma of physically challenged

Nagpur: Mayor Dayashankar Tiwari’s alleged humiliation of differently abled persons has kicked up a storm.
Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s ongoing anti-encroachment drive against roadside hawkers saw demolition of at least 15 shops of physically challenged persons across the city. Tiwari allegedly likened demolition of these encroachments as a punishment for their karma.
The remarks drew sharp reactions from differently abled persons who resorted to a sit-in protest outside the mayor’s office from 1pm on Friday. The protest lasted for about three hours.
The protesters also parked their tricycles surrounding Tiwari’s official vehicle so that he could not leave the office without resolving their long pending demand that the NMC should spare their kiosks during its anti-encroachment drive.
“On the one hand, the NMC is providing various schemes for the ‘Divyang’ category and on the other, Nagpur’s first citizen has insulted us,” said Vidarbha Viklang Sangarsh Samiti president Giridhar Bhajbhuje and vice-president Sukhdev Dudhalkar while addressing the media.
They claimed that when the samiti members sought the mayor’s intervention over the anti-encroachment drive, Tiwari said, “Aap logon ko apne karmon ki saza mil rahi hai (you are getting punishment for your karma).”
The samiti has been demanding that the NMC construct kiosks for them along the lines of those made for cobblers across the city.
The mayor and municipal commissioner only gave false assurances and did nothing to address our concerns, they alleged. “The mayor had assured us that no roadside shop of physically challenged persons will be removed by the NMC’s anti-encroachment squad. Despite the assurance, the civic body is taking action against our shops,” said Dudhalkar.
As the sloganeering intensified and protesters got vociferous, the NMC summoned the police. Even a riot control team of Nagpur police reached there to prevent any untoward incident.
After three hours of protest, the mayor appeared and ruled out any protection from the NMC’s anti-encroachment drive. Tiwari also claimed that he himself had stopped the NMC team from demolition of some of their shops. He refuted the allegation that the NMC was doing nothing for the Divyang section and clarified that a provision of Rs 7.5 crore had been made for them in the current financial year. Besides this, the NMC had been providing financial help to meritorious students and also sponsoring them for paralympics.
To their demand to provide them shops on the lines of cobblers’ kiosks, the mayor clarified that it was the state government’s scheme. He further advised them to meet the district guardian minister Nitin Raut.