The Bombay High Court on Friday gave permission to former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray faction to hold Dussehra rally at Shivaji park in Mumbai. A division bench of Justices R D Dhanuka and Kamal Khata observed that Municipal Council misused its powers in deciding the application of petitioners.
The ground to be given to the Thackeray camp for preparations from October 2-6.
The BMC has denied permission to both the Thackeray camp and the rival faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to hold a Dussehra rally at the Shivaji Park ground citing law and order concerns.
The Shiv Sena, founded by Bal Thackeray, has been holding its annual Dussehra rally at the Shivaji Park since 1966 except for the last two years of the coronavirus pandemic, it said.
Deputy municipal commissioner (zone-2) in separate letters sent to the two factions on Wednesday denied permission to use the ground in central Mumbai's Dadar area. The Shinde faction had been allowed to holding the rally at the MMRDA ground in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) on the same day, October 5, as an alternative. The Thackeray group too has sought permission from the BMC to hold its rally at the MMRDA ground, though Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday vowed to hold the event at the Shivaji Park.
On August 22, Anil Desai of the Thackeray-led Sena had applied to the BMC for permission for Shivaji Park. On August 30, MLA Sada Sarvankar of the Shinde faction also made a similar application.
