Dussehra rally: Have your Shivaji Park, CM’s faction tells Uddhav Sena

Uddhav Thackeray at the Dussehra rally of the Shiv Sena (UBT) in Shivaji Park on October 5, 2022. Pic/Rane Ashish

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena faction has announced it will not disturb the Dussehra rally of the Shiv Sena (UBT) at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park. According to sources, Shinde's gathering is likely to be held at Cross Maidan or Azad Maidan in south Mumbai. Following this, the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction has withdrawn all applications and petitions that were being prepared in the fight for the Shivaji Park venue.

To avoid a clash with Shiv Sena (UBT), Shinde decided to withdraw its application to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for permission to hold its rally at Shivaji Park. On Tuesday, MLA Sada Sarvankar wrote to the assistant municipal commissioner of G North ward to withdraw a letter he had written on August 1 seeking permission to hold a rally at Shivaji Park on Dussehra.

Samadhan Sarvankar, an ex-corporator, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday, "Dussehra is an important festival for Hindus. This is a festival for Shiv Sainiks. The honourable Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray had been continuously expressing fiery Hindutva thoughts from Shivtirth [Shivaji Park] for 50 years."

He added that this year, too, Shiv Sena's Dussehra rally should be held in the same spirit and to avoid disputes during a Hindu festival, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde took a conciliatory stance by announcing that his faction's Dussehra rally would be held at a different place. "As per the CM's suggestion, we are withdrawing the application for holding the event at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park," Sarvankar said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab welcomed the decision, adding, "But they decided to withdraw their application after we met BMC officers on Monday over the delay in getting permission for the rally at Shivaji Park." On Monday, a Shiv Sena (UBT) delegation met Prashant Sakpale, assistant municipal commissioner of G North ward, regarding permission. It had decided to move the court if the civic body did not give its nod in two days.