No face-off with UBT Sena: Shinde Sena withdraws claim over Shivaji Park to hold Dussehra rally

The move has cleared the path for Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT) to hold its annual Dussehra rally at the Shivaji Park ground as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is now likely to give permission for the same.

CM Shinde said that the decision was taken since he didn’t want to create law and order situation. “If we had decided, we would have held the meeting on that ground only. But, as head of state, I did not want to create any law and order situation. Balasaheb’s thoughts and Hinduism are so genuine that no matter where his thoughts are spoken, the brilliance does not diminish.”

Setting a stage for the repeat of last year’s face-off, both Sena factions had staked a claim on Shivaji Park for holding their annual Dussehra rallies on October 24.
The Shinde faction submitted its application in the BMC’s G North ward office in the first week of August while Thackeray-led Sena’s office-bearers filed the application for the Shivaji Park venue around a month ago.

After two reminders to the BMC to decide on permission to hold the Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park, the UBT Sena also announced that if the civic body denies permission, they would approach the Bombay High Court. However, in a surprising move, Chief Minister Shinde Tuesday instructed the party functionaries to look for another venue.

Shinde Sena leader Sada Sarvankar, who had submitted an application in the BMC’s G North ward office in the first week of August to hold their rally at Shivaji Park ground, said he is withdrawing the application for the Shivaji Park ground on instructions from Shinde.

“Dussehra is an important festival of Hindus. It is a festival for Shiv Sainiks. Balasaheb Thackeray would always give fiery speeches and Hindutva thoughts from Shivtirth (Shivaji Park). This year, too, Shiv Sena’s Dussehra rally should be held in the same spirit and to avoid disputes between each other during the festival, Shinde Saheb has instructed us that the Dussehra rally should be held at a different place. As per his instructions, we are withdrawing the application for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park Maidan,” MLA Sada Sarvankar said.

Sarvankar submitted a letter to BMC’s G North ward officer withdrawing the applications seeking permission to hold the Dussehra rally at Shivaji park.

Shiv Sena leader and minister Deepak Kesarka said they would be holding their rally at Cross Maidan in South Mumbai. “Our Dussehra rally will be held at Cross Maidan. We don’t want to fight with them (Sena UBT) at all… They just want to play sympathy card…,” Kesarkar said.

Slamming Uddhav Thackeray, CM Shinde said that those who claims to have Balasaheb’s legacy should first look in the mirror and face the reality. “It cannot be the Dussehra meeting of Shiv Sena if the Congress, which is allergic to Hinduism, is going to be praised from the Shivaji Park ground from where the Shiv Sena chief proposed the idea of burying the Congress. It is the same the ground from where he awakened intense Hindutva,” the CM added.

Without commenting on the Shinde Sena decision, Uddhav Thackeray said, “Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park is our tradition. This year also Dusshera rally will be held at Shivaji park with full enthusiasm.”

The Dussehra rally has been one of the most important annual events for Sena since it was first held in 1966, and the Shivaji Park ground or Shivtirth, as the party calls it, has been its traditional venue all these years with a few exceptions.

In 2020 it was held virtually due to the Covid pandemic and in 2021, the rally was held at Shanmukhanand Hall, Kings Circle. However, after the Sena split last year, both factions were at loggerheads over the venue for the Dussehra rally. Both sections filed applications with the BMC to get permission for the rally, but the civic body rejected both applications. Sena (UBT) then approached Bombay High Court over the rejection of their application, following which the court quashed the BMC’s order and allowed it to hold the event at Shivaji Park on October 5. The Shinde Sena held its Dussehra rally at MMRDA ground in BKC.

Last year, when the two factions sought the BMC’s permission for the event, the Election Commission Of India was yet to recognise the Shinde faction as the real Sena.