Woman takes on minister over traffic disruption, draws support from social media

Mumbai: A day after the video of a woman's outburst against BJP water resources minister Girish Mahajan for blocking a road during a party rally went viral, the politician admitted that the public had been inconvenienced by the rally but criticised her for using strong language and for allegedly throwing a bottle at the protesters.

As the woman's stance drew widespread support from citizens as well as the Opposition with many questioning why the BJP had been granted permission to protest on a road, Worli police registered a case against the protest organisers for violating norms, according to PTI.





The woman had publicly blasted the state minister for the inconvenience caused to the public during the BJP's protest on the Women's Reservation Bill. "Speak in a maidan. Do not stop traffic. Get out of here," the woman tells Mahajan in the video even as he tries to pacify her. At this point, police personnel are also seen intervening to restrain her using stern language. However, refusing to be cowed down, she returns to tell the minister, "Did you not understand? What is wrong with you? There are hundreds of people waiting and there is an empty ground here."

Wearing yellow shorts and a cap, the woman complains that the traffic had not moved for an hour because of the disruption. "I have to pick up my young child. When are you moving? We have been standing here for one hour. I have spoken to the police four times," she says in the video.

After the video went viral with many applauding the woman for taking on a politician staging a dharna with no thought for the impact it would have on movement of people and traffic, Mahajan responded on Tuesday saying, "The morcha was peaceful. Of course, there was some inconvenience. I apologised to her three times for the delay and said the road would be cleared in ten minutes. We will be more careful in the future."

However, he was critical of the woman, saying, "Her language was wrong and she threw a bottle at the morcha. There were 10-15,000 women and there could have been a law-and-order problem after she threw the bottle. But we handled the situation with control. I said no one should say anything while she expressed her anger for 15 minutes."

He also said that there had been many protests in the past blocking traffic. "There have been many andolans in the past when entire highways are jammed for 50 km. Many communities have protested," said Mahajan.

However, the woman drew support from many on social media for challenging a bunch of political activists who were backed by govt machinery. Harsh Goenka, chairman RPG Enterprises said on X," An angry lady's image shouting at a political leader and his party for having stopped the road has gone viral. That one woman has said what millions of us feel. Stop blocking roads for your political agendas. Stop blocking roads, temples for VIPs. This entitlement has gone too far."

The Opposition too did not spare the govt. SS UBT's Sanjay Raut said on X, "O Ram! Salute to Woman Power. Modiji had said it right. Women will not forgive." He later told the media, "This is the rebellion of women. There is a lot of anger among women against the government."

SS UBT's Priyanka Chaturvedi asked why the BJP was protesting on the streets instead of the designated ground. "Why should people suffer due to the political showmanship of the BJP. Her anger is not just hers alone but every single Mumbaikar who faces commuting woes," Chaturvedi said on X.

State Congress chief Harshavardhan Sapkal said, "If a minister of the BJP is being told to get out, it means that people have decided they do not want the BJP in power."

Social activist Anjali Damania said on X,"When we hold an andolan, we are told we can only do it in Azad Maidan. Then how and why was the BJP allowed. An FIR should be registered on the netas of the BJP for blocking traffic."
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