Mumbai's iconic tourist spot, the Gateway of India will remain closed on Sunday till further notice. As per the order, the area has been closed from 10 am on Sunday till further notice in view of the protest by the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance. 


The MVA has announced a protest march against Maharashtra's Mahayuti government against the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue in Sindhudurg. 


Given the protest call, heavy deployment of police has been made in the area and the historic monument, which sees thousands of footfalls in a day, has been closed for Sunday. 


The march will be taken out from Mumbai's Hutatma Chowk to Gateway of India which has affected the traffic on South and North channels, said the Mumbai traffic police. 


Notably, the MVA has not got permission for the march from the police and is still waiting for it. 


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However, despite not getting permission, Mahavikas Aghadi will move forward with its plan to protest against the government between Hutatma Chowk and Gateway of India against the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Sindhudurg. 


On Saturday, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant met with the Additional Police Commissioner and was told that the police officers would hold a meeting and take a decision regarding the permission. As of now, they have been given permission only to gather at Hutatma Chowk, not to take out a march.


The 35 feet statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj collapsed on August 26, nearly eight months after it was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 4, 2023, at Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg district's Malvan tehsil.


The incident drew flak from the opposition against the Mahayuti government in the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologised to the 17th century warrior and his followers but the opposition dismissed as "conditional" and "political".