MUMBAI: In a setback to Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde on Friday, the Bombay High Court allowed Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena to hold the annual Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park, Dadar on Oct 5 in Mumbai.
On Thursday, civic body BMC had declined permission to both factions of Shiv Sena for the Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park citing law and order issues. The court rejected the intervention application of Shinde camp MLA Sada Sarvankar.
A division bench of justices RD Dhanuka and Kamal Khata set aside the BMC order and directed the civic body to grant permission to the Uddhav faction from October 2 to 6. “In our view, the BMC order rejecting the application citing law and order is a clear abuse of process of law, along with the manner in which Sena secretary Anil Desai’s application was considered by the BMC,” said the court.
“It is not the corporation’s case. The BMC decision was not a bona fide one,” observed the court.
The court also rejected the application filed by Sada Sarvankar, sitting MLA from Shinde faction, who opposed the petition. The court said Sarvankar had no locus standi in the case.
The Uddhav-led Shiv Sena had approached the court seeking directions to the BMC to grant permission to hold the party’s annual Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park ground on Oct 5. The Dussehra Mela has been held at Shivaji Park every year since 1966, and the BMC has always allowed it after receiving a formal application.