Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam has claimed that the financial condition of the Congress party in Mumbai has worsened to the extent that it cannot even pay its office rent.

Speaking to IANS, Nirupam said, “The rent for the Mumbai Congress office has been pending for years, with dues now amounting to Rs 18 lakh. The electricity bill arrears have reached Rs 5 lakh, leading to a power cut.”

He further claimed that the power distributor even removed the office’s electricity meter due to non-payment of bills.

Nirupam, a former Mumbai Congress chief, contrasted the current situation with his tenure. “During my four years as Mumbai Congress President, such a situation never arose. The monthly expenditure, including rent, electricity, and staff salaries, was Rs 14 lakh. However, I have heard that Mumbai Congress employees have not been paid for the past 10 months,” he told IANS.

Recalling an incident from his time in office, he said, “The only financial issue we faced was an inflated tea vendor’s bill, which was eventually settled.”

Taking a dig at the party’s current leadership, Nirupam said, “Back then, we were in the Opposition, and I wasn’t even an MP, yet the party functioned smoothly. Today, Congress leaders are more focussed on making YouTube videos, and the party has become subservient to Uddhav Thackeray. The leadership is ineffective — they come, go, and do nothing.”

He blamed the Congress’ alliance with Thackeray’s party — Shiv Sena (UBT) for its decline. “I had warned against outsourcing Congress’ work to Uddhav Thackeray, but leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge and Venugopal ignored me. Now, the consequences are evident.”

Nirupam also responded to National Conference leader and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah’s, remarks on Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), asserting that it is an integral part of India and should be reclaimed.

“The Union Government is currently very powerful and will definitely take back PoK in the coming days, ensuring an undivided Kashmir,” Nirupam said. He urged CM Omar Abdullah to move beyond past narratives and support the Union government’s efforts.

Chief Minister Abdullah had recently commented on the BJP-led NDA government’s stance on PoK, asking, “Who is stopping you from taking it back? During the Kargil War, Pakistan had attacked, and that was an opportunity to reclaim it. Now, bring it back.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)