Opposition targets Pune mayor over ‘not a contractor’ remark

Pune: The Yerawada tragedy has snowballed into a political controversy, with opposition parties attacking Pune mayor Manjusha Nagpure over her ‘insensitive’ remarks in the aftermath. Responding to a query, Nagpure allegedly said she was “not a contractor” and had not “pushed the man”.NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar accused the mayor of displaying insensitivity. “Such a response is unbecoming of the city’s first citizen. At a time when a family is grieving, this reflects a shocking lack of empathy,” Pawar said.Shiv Sena’s Pune unit announced plans to launch protests over inadequate safety measures at public work sites, alleging that the BJP-backed civic administration had failed to enforce basic safeguards. Shiv Sena city chief Pramod Bhangire said, “Responsibility for the tragedy should extend beyond contractors to civic officials overseeing the project. There are deep-rooted irregularities in the drainage department and other public works. The decline in quality and safety is a direct result of these practices.”Responding to the criticism, BJP city chief Dheeraj Ghate said the party had taken up the matter with civic authorities and urged stricter enforcement of safety norms to prevent similar incidents.The tragedy has intensified demands for accountability, with citizens insisting that administrative notices alone are not enough and that criminal liability must be fixed for preventable deaths caused by negligence in public infrastructure projects.