Varsha Gaikwad accuses MHADA CEO Sanjeev Jaiswal of intimidating Motilal Nagar residents; BJP backs claim

Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad has alleged that Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority MHADA CEO Sanjeev Jaiswal threatened a city resident who was demonstrating against a redevelopment projectGaikwadrsquos reaction came after a video showed Jaiswal addressing a Motilal Nagar resident who was holding a placard in a threatening tone The bureaucrat reportedly asked the police to check the personrsquos identity card and said ldquoIf you turn out to be a ghuskhor illegal migrant we will remove you from here itselfrdquoRedevelopment presentation at Motilal NagarA presentation on the redevelopment of Motilal Nagar in Goregaon West Mumbai was held in Jaiswalrsquos presence on FridayIn a post on X on Sunday Gaikwad alleged that officials were being used to intimidate residents protesting against land acquisition and redevelopment plans ldquoOnce a project goes to Adani citizens lose all their democratic rights and cannot even protestrdquo she claimedThe Adani Group has partnered with MHADA to redevelop Motilal Nagar which is spread across 143 acresClaims of intimidation in Dharavi projectGaikwad further alleged that similar instances of intimidation were witnessed during surveys linked to the Dharavi Redevelopment Project She claimed that police personnel threatened residents who participated in protests and that a senior police inspector in Shahu Nagar behaved ldquorudelyrdquo with elected representativesResidents were allegedly told that they could not challenge decisions related to the Dharavi Redevelopment Project in court ldquoIf a project belongs to a friend of the Prime Minister do citizens have no rights left What kind of dictatorship is thisrdquo she askedBJP reacts to controversyPravin Darekar BJP MLC also objected to Jaiswalrsquos behaviour ldquoThe bureaucratrsquos language was inappropriate He should apologise to the residentsrdquo Darekar told PTI on SundayResidents divided over projectAccording to sources the protester was among a group of residents demanding that the approved redevelopment area for them be increased from 1600 sq ft to 2400 sq ftHowever after Jaiswal left some residents came onto the dais and expressed support for the redevelopment They said those opposing the project should be ignored and urged MHADA to consider the larger interests of all residentsProject details and rehabilitation planSpread across 143 acres in Goregaon the project is being undertaken under the Construction amp Development Agency CampDA model by the Adani Group officials saidThe state government has granted special planning authority status to MHADA for implementing the project which is targeted for completion within seven years after receiving the Occupation CertificateUnder the plan3702 eligible residential beneficiaries will receive free rehabilitation units of about 1600 sq ft each328 eligible commercial occupants will be allotted units of 987 sq ft eachAround 1600 slum dwellers will be rehabilitated with 300 sq ft units under Slum Rehabilitation Authority SRA provisionsMHADA will also receive a significant housing stock as part of the redevelopment according to officialsWith PTI inputs