Cong Corporator Threatens Mumbai Metro Staff, Shouts at Journalist

Vikrant Chavan, a Congress corporator from Thane, misbehaved with Mumbai Metro personnel and a journalist.

Vikrant Chavan, a Congress corporator from the Thane Municipal Corporation, misbehaved with Mumbai Metro personnel and a journalist.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Vikrant Chavan, a Congress corporator from the Thane Municipal Corporation, misbehaved with Mumbai Metro personnel at the Azad Nagar Metro station in the city on Wednesday, 15 January, after his ticket token got stuck in the slot at the entry gate.

Chavan repeatedly threatened one of the staff members with his “corporator” status. When the metro staff and the guards present tried to calm him down, and a security official informed him that the station was a silent zone, Chavan reportedly shouted back, saying, “I am a corporator, I will speak like I want to.”

Tabassum Barnagarwala, a journalist with The Indian Express, was passing by and also tried to intervene. Chavan shouted at her as well. When she started recording a video, which she later posted on Twitter, the corporator reached out and hit her hand to stop the recording.

Barnagarwala recounted the entire episode in a series of tweets.

A Reliance Metro official told The Indian Express that they are investigating the matter.

Chavan’s Response

“I was going to meet a friend who has been hospitalised, when my Metro ticket (coin) got stuck in their machine. So, while I was talking to them, a woman interfered and she later started recording my video. How can somebody just abruptly appear and start recording me? One needs to ask for permission, right?”

Vikrant Chavan to <i>The Indian Express</i>

Chavan had contested the Assembly polls from Ovala-Majiwada in Maharashtra in October 2019 on a Congress ticket, but lost to a Shiv Sena candidate.

Reacting to the news of Chavan’s misbehaviour, Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said, “The party does not condone such behaviour. This kind of behaviour is not expected from a Congress worker. We will demand an explanation from him on this issue.”