Mumbai: A video of BJP MLA Parag Shah, who represents Mumbai’s Ghatkopar East constituency, has gone viral on social media showing him dressed as a beggar and seeking help from people on the streets of Ghatkopar.
According to Shah, the exercise was not part of any political programme or publicity campaign. He said he was inspired by the teachings of Jain spiritual leader Rashtrasant Namramuni Maharaj and temporarily gave up his usual identity to experience the life of a person without wealth and social status.
Shah, a real estate businessman, had declared assets worth more than ₹3,383 crore in his affidavit for the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections.
Explaining the idea behind the experiment, Namramuni Maharaj said people often associate an individual’s identity with their wealth and status. He suggested that without such outward markers, even a well-known person could be treated differently in everyday life.
During a programme, the Jain monk reportedly spoke about the perception that people would recognise someone regardless of their appearance or circumstances. He then played a video showing Shah moving around Ghatkopar in the guise of a beggar.
The video has since attracted attention on social media, with Shah’s unusual experiment drawing reactions from viewers.
