Koli fisherwomen rubbish Congress' allegations against Piyush Goyal

State Congress General Secretary Sachin Sawant, citing a local news article, had claimed that Goyal insulted Koli fishermen by covering his nose with a handkerchief when he campaigned in Koliwada.

"Piyush Goyal, the BJP candidate from North Mumbai, can't stand the smell of fish when he passes through the koliwada. Piyush Goyal walking around with a handkerchief on his nose has insulted our fishermen brothers and hence cannot be the representative of the poor people. Idea of sending fishermen to salt pan land may be lingering in his mind now like slums in Mumbai," Sawant had said in a post on April 15.

However, this claim now appears to have fallen flat. BJP corporator in the area Anjali Khedkar stated that Piyush Goyal's rally had not even come to this ward and he had not visited the area yet.

"All these allegations are false. Piyush Goyal's rally did not even come to my ward, and Piyush Goyal never came. I asked all the women in Koregaon, and they said, four women came and were telling us such things. These Congress people are trying to tarnish Piyush Goyal ji's name," BJP leader Anjali Khedkar told ANI.

Many Koli women in the area also defended Goyal, stating that he never visited that area.

"A woman told some people that Piyush Goyal covered his nose with a handkerchief...But this is a false rumour, and we need to find out who started it and why and take action against them," a Koli woman told ANI.

Jyotsana Nitin Bhandari, another member of the Koli community, shared similar sentiments saying, "Piyush Goyal did not come here, all of this is a rumour. These are attempts to ruin his reputation."

Goyal is the candidate from Mumbai North which is seen as a BJP bastion. In 2019 BJP's Gopal Shetty won the seat defeating actor Urmila Matondkar who was the Congress candidate. The elections to Mumbai North will be held on May 20 and the results of all seats will be declared on June 4. (ANI)