By Hanika Kashyap
BJP’s recently appointed Mumbai chief, Ameet Satam, sparked controversy by making a remark targeting the Muslim community out in the open. He claimed that the upcoming civic polls were about the city’s “safety” and warned that a “Khan” should not occupy the mayor’s chair in Mumbai.
The 49-year-old voiced these comments during the BJP’s Vijay Sankalp Melava, an event attended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Piyush Goyal. The gathering was held at the Worli Dome auditorium, organized by Satam.
Satam, who took charge as Mumbai chief last month, suggested that the civic polls were about safeguarding the city. He hinted at global examples where certain changes had altered leadership, pointing to the surnames of mayors in some countries, and questioned whether Mumbai should follow a similar path.
The Mumbai BJP president’s comments seem to be alluding to the anti-immigration protests unfolding in London and other Western nations, with his “surname” reference seen as a nod to London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, who has Pakistani heritage.
Pressing on with his remarks, Satam warned that areas like Versova and Malvani could become a model for wider change, cautioning that Bangladeshi migrants might soon be living in Mumbai. He added that every ward could one day see a Haroon Khan elected, eventually leading to a Khan as the city’s mayor, something he urged people to resist.
Versova and Malvani, both home to sizable Muslim communities in Mumbai, formed the backdrop for Satam’s comments. His remarks coincided with the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance’s statewide campaign against illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, a key political agenda.
Satam emphasized that the party’s battle was rooted not only in politics but also in issues of development and security. He urged party workers to reach every home and help ensure the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) mayor’s post goes to the Mahayuti.
The BMC, considered Asia’s richest civic body, has been without elections since 2022. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court set January 31, 2026, as the final deadline to conduct the long-delayed local body polls in Maharashtra.