The MNS started it, as workers of Raj Thackeray’s party went around schools in central Mumbai on Tuesday, “requesting” them to close for the day due to the swine flu scare and prevent the infection from spreading. And the Shiv Sena lapped up the idea, demanding that the city corporation shut schools for a week.

Officials at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), ruled by the Shiv Sena, tried to resist the demand. But with Sena corporators unrelenting, Mumbai was subjected to a frivolous drama: an official SMS poll asking people whether schools should shut or remain open.

Sent out around 6.30 pm to about 6,000 people on the database of the BMC’s disaster management cell, built with the help of mobile phone service providers, the SMSes asked: “Do you think in view of swine flu all the schools in the city need to be closed? Please answer yes or no.” Responses had to come in by 9 pm and a decision based on the answers is expected on Wednesday. Health experts around the world have not advocated shutting down schools as a way to battle the virus and this is also not contained in guidelines circulated among states by the Centre.

However, with Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray demanding that Mumbai follow the ‘Mexico pattern’, where the infection was first detected and public places were shut for days to contain the outbreak, the Sena corporators were adamant.

Mumbai Regional Congress Committee president Kripashankar Singh also appealed to the Chief Minister to shut schools, colleges, cinema halls and malls for seven days in Mumbai.

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