The death of Aslam Shaikh, an elderly man who fell into an uncovered manhole during heavy rainfall in Mumbai on 3 July, has set off a sharp political confrontation, with the Congress calling it a clear administrative failure and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena attributing the tragedy to decades of mismanagement by the previous Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) administration. The incident, which also claimed the life of an 11-year-old child, has drawn condemnation across party lines and renewed calls for accountability over Mumbai's monsoon preparedness.

Congress Calls It a Systemic Failure

Congress MLA Amin Patel described the tragedy as emblematic of a broken civic system. 'This is an administrative failure. Crores of rupees meant for Mumbai's drainage system have gone to waste. Two people have lost their lives, including an 11-year-old child and a 55-year-old elderly man. The Maharashtra government should announce compensation of ₹25 lakh each for the families of both victims,' he said.

Patel also flagged a separate flooding incident in which two girls were trapped inside a shop, with local residents — not civic officials — coming to their rescue. 'The municipal corporations of Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, and Thane have failed. The government must take immediate and strict action because this is only the beginning of the monsoon, with nearly four months of the rainy season still remaining,' he said.

Congress MLA Aslam Shaikh questioned why preventive action was not taken after an earlier incident. 'Were the authorities waiting for more people to die after the first accident? Even after the High Court's directions, open manholes are not being covered,' he said.

Opposition Parties Demand Accountability

Samajwadi Party MLA Raees Shaikh held the BJP-led civic administration directly responsible. 'The BJP leadership in the BMC, including the Mayor and the Standing Committee Chairman, must take responsibility. Since the new council came into power, its focus has been elsewhere instead of civic issues. The Mayor of Mumbai should apologise to the people of the city,' he said.

This comes amid growing criticism that Mumbai's monsoon infrastructure has received insufficient attention despite repeated judicial nudges. Notably, courts have previously directed civic bodies to ensure manholes are secured before the onset of rains — directives that, critics argue, remain largely unimplemented.

BJP and Shiv Sena Shift Blame to Previous Regime

BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar acknowledged the need for accountability but deflected primary responsibility. 'The administration should be held accountable for this tragedy. However, it will take time to clean up the mess created by Shiv Sena-UBT during its 25 years of control over the Mumbai Municipal Corporation,' he said.

Shiv Sena MLC Bacchu Kadu called for a formal review mechanism. 'These incidents are becoming frequent. A committee should be formed to examine all such cases over the last two to three years and recommend measures to prevent them in the future,' he said.

Shiv Sena leader Manisha Kayande pointed to systemic corruption among civic officials. 'Many officials are busy collecting illegal payments and ignoring their actual responsibilities. Maintenance work should begin in April so that the city is prepared before the monsoon,' she said.

Calls for Strictest Punishment

Shiv Sena MLA Deepak Vasant Kesarkar demanded the harshest legal action against those responsible. 'This is a deeply tragic incident. Strict action should be taken against all those responsible, including the concerned officials and the contractor. They should face the harshest punishment under the law,' he said.

With the monsoon barely begun and months of heavy rainfall ahead, pressure is mounting on the BMC and the Maharashtra government to demonstrate concrete action — beyond political blame — before the next tragedy strikes.