Founder, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), Raj Thackeray at the 20th anniversary of Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena. (Photo: X/@RajThackeray/Enhanced using AI)Amid the ongoing controversy over the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’splan to acquire a new fleet of vehicles for the deputy mayors and various civic committee chairpersons, members from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) sent various models of toy Innova cars to the BMC headquarters on Monday as a mark of protest. The move comes after Ppposition leaders from political parties criticised the move.At present, the leaders are using Scorpio vehicles acquired in January this year. The move for upgrading of the fleet is expected to cost BMC an additional monthly cost of Rs 20 lakh.Also Read | Raj Thackeray claims donation theft at Mumbai temple, slams BJP on youth issuesLast month, the civic administration floated a proposal to acquire six new Innova vehicles for deputy mayor – Sanjay Ghadi, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Kishori Pednekar and chairpersons of several statutory committees like the civic law committee and education committees. The move follows the civic administration’s allotment of a high-end Innova car for Mumbai’s Mayor Ritu Tawde.Civic officials, however, maintained that the proposal is set to be formally called off.Also Read | Beacon row continues even as BMC removes flasher lights from mayor’s official vehicles“Our party leaders have sent toy cars to the civic administration. Since beginning we have opposed this proposal of this arbitrary expense of acquiring new vehicles for the civic corporators and committee chairpersons when already new vehicles have been taken for their usage earlier this year,” Yeshwant Killedar, leader of MNS in the BMC, told The Indian Express.According to civic sources, the toy cars were stopped at the entry gate and were not allowed to enter within the civic premises. Ganesh Khankar Leader of the House (LoH) and BJP corporator said that he has written a formal letter to the civic administration asking them to retain the original scorpio vehicles that were allocated to them.“Being a LoH, I never demanded any upgradation of vehicles for civic corporators. Some civic committee chairpersons and the LoP had made demands for new vehicles, to which I stated the administration to carry out a feasibility study and then allot a vehicle. Now I have asked the authorities to withdraw the earlier proposal and retain the existing vehicles,” Khankar said.