‘Will burn him alive’: Maharashtra BJP leader’s threat to contractor sparks row

A BJP corporator in Maharashtra's Pimpri-Chinchwad, Shailaja More, has sparked controversy after allegedly threatening to "burn alive" a contractor over the poor upkeep of crematoriums. This contentious remark came during a Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) general body meeting, where More expressed her anger over the "pathetic" condition of crematoriums in Nigdi and other places in the industrial area.

She had written to the mayor and PCMC commissioner about the issues five months ago but claimed no action had been taken. More urged the PCMC administration to hand over the contractors' names, to which she vowed to "burn him alive." Her son, Anoop, later clarified that she was expressing her anger at the state of the crematoriums and that she may have used inappropriate words in the heat of the moment.

The BJP Pimri-Chinchwad president, Bapu Kate, condemned More's language, stating that she must stop using such expressions in the house. Seema Savale, former standing committee chairperson of PCMC, also criticized More's language, deeming it "highly incorrect and inappropriate." Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Pimpri-Chinchwad president Yogesh Behl called More's comments "highly condemnable" and demanded an apology for her choice of words.