Shiv Sena (UBT) Member of Parliament Arvind Sawant has been booked by the Mumbai Police for his controversial remarks against Shaina NC, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena candidate for the Mumbadevi constituency. Shaina NC, formerly a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson, recently joined the Shinde faction after being fielded in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant has been booked under Sections 354 and 509 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for his derogatory remarks against Shaina NC. Section 354 pertains to assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty, while Section 509 deals with words, gestures, or acts intended to insult the modesty of a woman.
During a media interaction, Sawant referred to Shaina NC as “imported maal,” a term considered derogatory. He stated, “Look at her condition. She was in the BJP all her life and now has gone to another party. ‘Imported maal’ does not work here; only ‘original maal’ works here.”
The remark sparked widespread criticism. Shaina NC responded, calling Sawant’s statement a reflection of his mentality and asserting that the people would teach him and his party a lesson. She questioned, “Does he think every woman of Mumbadevi is a ‘maal’? You don’t respect a woman. You use such words for a capable woman who is in politics. Now you will be ‘behaal’ (defeated).”
In response to the backlash, Sawant accused Shaina NC and leaders of the ruling Mahayuti coalition of twisting his words to set a fake narrative against him. He clarified, “What I said was Amin Patel is a local and she is an outsider, so this ‘imported maal’ will not be accepted in the Mumbadevi constituency.”
The Mumbadevi constituency, part of the Mumbai South Lok Sabha seat, has been represented by Congress MLA Amin Patel since 2009. Patel is the candidate of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, comprising the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction).
Shaina NC, known as the ‘Queen of Drapes’ for her ability to drape a saree in fifty-four different ways, holds a Guinness World Record for the fastest saree drape. She holds a degree in political science from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, and a diploma in fashion design from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.
The Maharashtra assembly elections are scheduled for November 20, with counting on November 23. The contest in Mumbadevi is expected to be closely watched, given the high-profile candidates and recent controversies.