‘Reflection Of His Mentality’: Shaina NC Hits Out At Arvind Sawant Over ‘Imported’ Remark

Shiv Sena UBT leader Arvind Sawant has stoked a controversy after he labelled Shaina NC, former BJP leader who switched to Shiv Sena ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly Elections, as “imported maal” (material), drawing the saffron party’s ire.

“She stayed all her life in the BJP and now look at her… Humare yahan imported maal nahi chalta (Imported material does not work here). Only original ‘maal‘ works here. We have the original material (pointing towards the candidate),” he said while speaking to the media.

Shaina NC reacts sharply
The Shiv Sena leader, who was at the receiving end of the ‘sexist’ slur, said that people will teach the rival party a lesson in the polls.

“This reflects the mindset of Arvind Sawant and his party. Does he think every woman of Mumbadevi is a maal? On one side there is Eknath Shinde’s Ladki Behan Yojana, on the other side there is Prime Minister’s Ujjwala, Mudra Banking, Housing Scheme, where women are empowered. Droupadi Murmu, a tribal woman, becomes the President and on the other side Mahavinash Aghadi’s Arvind Sawant calls me ‘Imported maal‘,” she said.

“I think this objectification of women is not only their mentality but Congress MLA Amin Patel was present there laughing…You will have to apologise at the Nagpada Police Station…Mahavinash Aghadi which is going to be ‘behaal‘ on 20th November,” Shaina added.

Shaina NC files police complaint against Arvind Sawant
The Shiv Sena leader filed a formal complaint against the UBT leader over the remark.

Shaina was fielded by Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena from Mumbai’s Mumbadevi Assembly constituency for the November 20 polls. She joined the party hours later ahead of the Assembly Elections.

She was among the 15 candidates named by Shiv Sena on October 28. She was reportedly keen on contesting from the Worli seat. However, she was given the ticket from Mumbadevi after Rajya Sabha MP Milind Deora was fielded from Worli by the party against Uddhav Thackeray’s son Aaditya.

Arvind Sawant defends remark
Following the backlash over his remarks, Sawant defended himself, arguing that there is nothing wrong with his statement and accused the BJP of unnecessarily escalating the situation. “This party has a character like this… Why didn’t they say anything about the women in Manipur? They have no respect for women,” he added.

He further claimed, “She (Shaina NC) wants to set a narrative right now. In fact what I said, you show the full thing. She is not residing in that Assembly. Never in political life of 55 years… Modesty of a woman is always honoured by Arvind Sawant.”