Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena moves Bombay High Court over Dussehra rally at Mumbai's Shivaji Park

The Bombay High Court will hear the case on September 27. The Shiv Sena made the remarks after a delegation led by Mumbai ex-mayor Milind Vaidya met with BMC officials to inquire about the status of their application to hold the rally.  

The Shiv Sena, led by Uddhav Thackeray, approached the Bombay High Court on Wednesday seeking permission to hold the yearly Dussehra rally in this Mumbai's Shivaji Park. The party knocked on the high court's doors as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had not yet decided on its application.

The Bombay HC will hear the case on September 27. The change occurred a day after the Shiv Sena declared that it would hold its yearly Dussehra rally at the Shivaji Park grounds, regardless of the circumstances. The party stated that it makes no difference whether or not the BMC grants permission for the rally.

The party's remarks came after a Shiv Sena delegation led by Mumbai ex-mayor Milind Vaidya met with BMC officials to inquire about the status of their application to hold the rally.

"Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena will rally at Shivaji Park whether or not we get permission. The administration must either permit us or deny it. We are adamant about our decision (to hold the rally at Shivaji Park). If we do not receive a response, Balasaheb's Shiv Sena workers will gather at Shivaji Park for a Dussehra rally," Vaidya said.

It should be noted that the two Shiv Sena factions, one led by Thackeray and the other by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, have asked the BMC for permission to hold a Dusshera rally in Central Mumbai's Shivaji Park. The Shiv Sena has held its Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park since the party's inception.

The BMC has not yet decided on the two applications. Meanwhile, both factions had requested permission to hold the rally at the MMRDA Ground in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) as an alternative if the Shivaji Park permission was denied. The BMC, on the other hand, granted the Shinde faction permission to hold the rally in BKC last week.