Amid the ongoing vote counting for 227 wards of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Shirsat on Thursday accused the police of “misusing power” following an alleged lathi charge on Shiv Sena workers at a counting centre in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, reported news agency ANI.

Dispute over entry escalates into violence

The incident reportedly occurred at the counting centre set up at the Government Engineering College after a dispute broke out over granting entry to Shiv Sena workers. According to party leaders, a verbal altercation between the workers and police personnel escalated, following which the police allegedly resorted to a lathi charge. Several party workers were reportedly injured, triggering chaos at the venue.