'Because colour of my flag is green': AIMIM corporator Sahar Shaikh clarifies her 'paint Mumbra green' remark

NEW DELHI: AIMIM corporator Sahar Shaikh, who had courted controversy with her statement "Mumbra must be completely painted green", has clarified her remarks and accused rivals of indulging in communal politics. “In the next municipal elections, all winning candidates from Mumbra would be from the AIMIM. Mumbra must be completely painted green," the 29-year-old corporator in Thane Municipal Corporation had said in her victory speech laying out her vision for party's future in Mumbai and Mumbra. Sahar had described her victory as a demonstration of the party's growing influence at the grassroots.Sahar's aggressive victory speech was aimed at NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad. She had entered the electoral fray after the NCP(SP) declined to field her as its candidate. She said the election results had shattered the ego of political opponents who, according to her, believed they could dominate the people of Mumbra. However, her remarks stoked controversy as rivals accused her of giving communal colour to AIMIM's victory in the civic body polls. The Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM registered significant gains in the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) elections, bagging five of the 131 seats and outperforming parties like Congress, which failed to open its account, and Shiv Sena (UBT) which secured just 1 seat. 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.With her remarks leading to a controversy, Sahar Shaikh clarified today and said: "We are promoting green colour, because the colour of my flag is green. Had the colour of my flag been orange or saffron, I would have promoted it ... This was party-level politics, but the opposition turned it into communal politics. This has nothing to do with community ... Does everyone have a stake in a colour? People should stop with their communal politics... I am secular and what I meant was that I want to win all 25 seats of Mumbra."(With inputs from PTI)