BJP-led SMC reverses decision to allow free banners for religious event; party leader hits back

However, recently, the civic body seems to have had a change of heart with the standing committee taking the decision that organisers would be charged for the posters.

Perhaps, the most livid about the decision is BJP corporator and transport committee chairman of the civic body, Somnath Marathe, who is in the organising committee of the event.

He told The Indian Express that he would complain to the party high command against the standing committee chairman of SMC, Rajan Patel, over the decision to remove the banners and hoardings from different parts of the city without taking him into confidence.

The event is being organised by the Sai Leela Charitable Trust (Sai Leela Group) of Surat, run by Samrat Patil and his brother Sunil Patil, who are currently with the BJP. The event started on January 16 and is due to   conclude on January 22. It is being held on 200 bighas of land in Kharvasa village in Surat city.

Sources told The Indian Express that an average of 2 lakh people throng the event daily, which include migrants from South Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh — the latter also being Mishra’s native state.

Sources said that Marathe, the BJP corporator from Ward no 24 (Udhna), had requested and sent a proposal to the Standing Committee Chairman to allow the organisers to put up banners for free for the event.

On January 3, the proposal was approved by the committee and resolution was passed stating that since Shiv Mahapuran is a religious event, licence fees and other charges for erecting 100 hoardings and 80 banners in different parts of the city should not be charged by the organisers from January 4 to January 22.

The organisers hung the banners and hoardings in different assembly areas, such as Limbayat, Majura, Udhna, Choryasi, and Walled City areas. An invitation was extended to the State BJP president, CR Paatil, BJP MLA from Limbayat Sangita Patil, and other leaders to attend the religious event.

Sources said that Sangita Patil along with BJP MLA from Udhna seat Manubhai Patel also attended the katha on January 16, and took blessings from Mishra. The same evening, SMC standing committee presided by chairman Rajan Patel passed a resolution, reversing the earlier decision and imposing a charge on the banners.

Rajan Patel said, “We have found that the hoardings and banners put up were far higher in number than the decided-upon figure of 100. So, we have decided to cut short the time frame given to the organisers as it would also raise issues in our audit.”

From January 17, officials of different zones were seen removing the hoardings from different parts of the city.

To accommodate the huge crowd at the event, the entire 200-bigha of agricultural land in Kharwasa village was covered with domes and awnings. The organisers also provided food, water, and other facilities for the people attending and staying in the pandal.

Organising committee member and BJP corporator Marathe said, “I called up Rajan Patel three times, but he did not pick up my phone. We are unhappy with the decision. He knew that it was my proposal, and before making any decision, he should have talked so that we could have jointly worked out the problem. We will complain to the state BJP high command in the coming days, after the event ends…”

He further added, “This event was a religious event; we will not tolerate such an act. It has created a bad impression of us among the people, and our dignity and image have been harmed.”

Limbayat BJP MLA Sangita Patil confirmed that she attended the event. Though State BJP President Paatil has not been seen at the event yet, the organisers are hopeful that with only two days left, he will attend the gathering.

Sources close to the Patil brothers said that Sunil was earlier the BJP Youth Morcha president, and contested SMC election in 2015 from Limbayat seat. However, he lost to Congress candidate Ikbal Belim. Sunil’s younger brother Samrat contested state assembly election in 2017 on Shiv Sena ticket against BJP’s Sangita Patil, and lost. Both Patil brothers were involved in the textile trading business and a complaint of cheating was filed by a trader with Salabatpura police station against them in 2016. Duo were arrested and released on bail. BJP had later suspended Sunil and Samrat from the party in 2017. Last year, they joined the party in the presence of Sangita Patil, the Limbayat MLA.