Mumbai, Oct 1 (IANS) Maharashtra BJP MLA Narendra Mehta has once again found himself at the centre of a controversy following a recent statement that sparked strong reactions online and drew sharp criticism from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
Speaking at an event in Thane, Mehta on Thursday referred to the Mira-Bhayander region as a “Jain Nagari” (Jain city).
“I come from a city that is often referred to as a mini-Rajasthan or a Jain Nagari. Mira-Bhayander has over 33 Jain temples and sees the visits of many saints and monks. Gurudev’s blessings are always with me. This past election was extremely tough, but receiving his blessings provides immense inspiration. I consider myself fortunate to be born into a Jain family. Whenever issues concerning the Jain community arise in Mira-Bhayander, we stand firmly with them,” Mehta said.
Mehta also addressed previous controversies involving his initiatives, including a ban on root vegetables (kandmool) in his school during the Jain festival of Paryushan. “I run a school, and during Paryushan, root vegetables are prohibited in lunchboxes. This triggered a major controversy, but we did not back down and maintained the rule. We stay true to our beliefs,” he stated.
He also referenced a past dispute regarding white pathways painted on roads for barefoot Jain monks. “Jain monks walk barefoot, so white strips were painted on the roads to protect their feet from the heat. That also faced opposition, but we stood our ground,” he added.
The statement drew immediate pushback from the MNS. Sachin Pople, MNS President for the Mira-Bhayander Assembly constituency, criticized Mehta, saying, “Narendra Mehta went to Thane and spewed rhetoric, claiming Mira-Bhayander belongs to Jains. Mehta should stop these divisive tactics. The MNS firmly reminds you that Mira-Bhayander belongs to the Koli, Aagri, and Marathi people,” Pople said.
Pople also challenged Mehta’s stance on school regulations and business practices.
“When you banned root vegetables in children’s lunchboxes during Paryushan, MNS opposed it, forcing you to withdraw the rule from your school’s portal. As for the white strips for Jain monks, when that issue escalated, MNS members painted black over them. Stop making hollow speeches. You invoke religion to restrict food in children’s lunchboxes, yet you sell alcohol and serve root vegetables in your hotels. Religion seems to matter to you in schools, but not when it comes to business and making money,” he remarked.
Narendra Mehta has been involved in several major controversies. Earlier in September, controversy erupted over directives issued at Seven Square Academy (a school managed by Mehta’s Seven Eleven Group).
The school administration instructed students not to bring root vegetables (such as onion, garlic, beetroot, and potatoes) in their lunchboxes during the Jain festival of Paryushan.
Political opposition and parent groups termed the decision as forcing religious dietary restrictions on school children. While MNS and other groups staged protests, Mehta defended his decision, stating that he stood firm on his school’s policies. Ultimately, the directives were withdrawn.
Devram Mandora, a partner at Janhavi Developers working on the ‘Damodar Tower’ project in Bhayander East, accused Narendra Mehta and his brother’s family of blocking the Occupancy Certificate (OC) for the building.
The builder alleged they demanded a 10 per cent stake in the development project along with a flat in exchange for clearing the OC. Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik held a review meeting with civic officials and instructed the police to review audio recordings submitted by the builder.
Mehta dismissed the allegations as fabricated, claiming the builder was a defaulter and that the audio clip was old and selectively edited. Shortly after, the builder was arrested by the Mira Road police in a separate Rs 1.06 crore fraud case filed by a contractor.
Asgar Ali Vohra, a childhood acquaintance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had been embroiled in a long-standing land dispute in Bhayander East involving an entity connected to Narendra Mehta. After Vohra met PM Modi in New Delhi to raise the land-grabbing grievance, the state administrative machinery moved rapidly.
Consequently, the entity associated with Mehta surrendered possession of the disputed land and withdrew its construction approvals.
–IANS
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