New Delhi: The Bombay High Court on Friday rejected the plea by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction to hold Dussehra rally at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park. Instead, the court approved the application of Uddhav Thackeray faction to mark the festival at the said area.
The High Court was hearing a petition filed by the Uddhav Thackeray-led party faction, challenging BMC’s decision to deny the Shiv Sena the permission to hold its annual Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park in Dadar on October 5.
It is to be noted that Dadar MLA Sada Sarvankar, who was one of the rebels in the Shiv Sena faction led by CM Shinde, had filed a petition with the Bombay High Court, seeking the court not to hear or decide the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena's petition. He said that under the guise of the plea, the Thackeray faction was trying to lay claim on the party. He had also filed an application with the Mumbai civic body on August 30, asking for permission to hold the Shiv Sena's annual Dussehra rally at the Shivaji Park in central Mumbai.
On Thursday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had denied permission to both Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and Shinde's faction for holding the rally at Shivaji Park citing law and order concerns raised by Mumbai Police.
However, a division bench of Justices RD Dhanuka and Kamal Khata of Bombay High Court on Friday observed that the BMC order was a “clear abuse of process of law and bonafide”, and approved the petition filed by the Thackeray faction.