Pune: Former city unit President of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Ravindra Malwadkar lashed out at the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and its senior leader over a tender of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) given to a contractor for removing 'encroachments' of street vendors in the city.

The tender is of Rs 28 crore and the contractor would be getting only Rs 2,800 in five years that is Rs 1.55 per day for the work. This is very suspicious, said Malwadkar.

Malwadkar has written to the PMC Commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad on this issue and demanded that the process be cancelled.

Malwadkar said, "Due to the lockdown, people are already jobless and under financial stress. Some are committing suicide. At a time of crisis like this, BJP which is the ruling party in the corporation is undertaking a tender process of evacuating street vendors under the garb of anti-encroachment action. These poor and needy vendors are following physical distancing norms and earning their livelihood. Why should a senior leader from BJP show so much interest in this tender process? This is very suspicious."

Malwadkar has also threatened to protest against this decision of the PMC. "We will bring together all like-minded organisations and oppose this move," Malwadkar stated.