Annapurna Shirsat recovering in hospital. Pics/Navneet Barhate

According to Shirsat, around 50 women from Lalchakki and Subhash hill areas of Ulhasnagar were ferried to Dombivli. Shirsat, an elderly woman in need of money joined the crowd to cheer the leader. These women were given a bottle of water and a vada pav each and were part of the rally from 8 am to 2 pm. He was accompanied by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, MLA Dr Balaji Kinikar, and MLA Kumar Ailani, along with other leaders. Welcoming their arrival, the party workers burst firecrackers.

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“We were in the crowd when a firecracker exploded near my feet and my nylon saree caught fire. My legs and back were burnt in the incident. Women accompanying me extinguished the flames. But those who brought me to the rally didn’t bother. My son and daughter-in-law had to spend R8,000 on treatment in a private hospital despite our financial situation. Finally, as we could not afford any more expenses, I was admitted to the government central hospital,” Shirsat said, adding that the women who helped douse the flames gave her Rs 850 and sent her to a private hospital.

Shirsat said that Lata Pagare is the “so-called BJP worker” from Ulhasnagar who had ferried the women to the rally but didn’t bother about them thereafter.

On getting information about this incident, senior journalist and social worker Dilip Malvankar, Dr Janu Mankar, Consumer Protection Cell Advocate Ulhas More and youth leader Aniket Gaikwad rushed to central hospital in the middle of the night and assured all possible cooperation. The police also finally took note a week after the incident.

As soon as news of the incident began to spread, some people of the Shinde group began working hard to suppress the matter. Subsequently, Shirsat was shifted to a private hospital on Thursday. She alleges that now a lot of political pressure is being exerted on the family due to the incident coming to light.

mid-day contacted MLA Balaji Kinikar of the Shiv Sena Shinde faction who gave Shirsat Rs 5,000 for treatment after the news broke out. But Kinikar disconnected the call without giving a response.