Video showing BJP corporators attending birthday bash before Major Kaustubh Rane's body reached home evokes outrage

Mumbai: The BJP was left red-faced after a video went viral showing its MLA and corporators attending a birthday party in adjoining Mira Road township at a time when people were expecting to receive the body of Major Kaustubh Rane, who attained martyrdom in Kashmir. The video, telecast by a Marathi TV channel, shows BJP legislator Narendra Mehta and a dozen BJP corporators from the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation celebrating the birthday of party corporator Anand Manjrekar in the township on Tuesday night. [caption id=“attachment_4586301” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AFP[/caption] The celebrations happened a day before the body of Major Rane, who was killed in Jammu and Kashmir during an operation to foil an infiltration bid, reached Mumbai. Mehta was quick to tender an apology on the incident. “What happened (the birthday bash) is extremely unfortunate. It shouldn’t have happened,” he said. “All of us have expressed regret for it. This is not a political issue,” he told the channel. Asked why the bash was not cancelled despite the entire township mourning the martyrdom of its resident, Mehta said the event was pre-planned. Talking to PTI, NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said, “This is the height of shamelessness on part of BJP public representatives. This incident has exposed the true face of BJP. The legislator and corporators who attended the party should be expelled by the party.” “Those attending the party has given a flimsy excuse that they were not aware of Major’s death. But the reality is some of them had gone to his residence earlier to offer their condolences and from there they had straightway headed to the party venue,” he said.