The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Thursday permitted the Shiv Sena faction led by former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to hold its annual Dussehra public rally at Shivaji Park ground.Last year, the UBT group approached the high court for permission after it was denied by the BMC.
Uddhav Thackeray's move to organise the Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park got embroiled in a controversy when both factions of the Shiv Sena applied to the BMC seeking permission for the event. A month after Shiv Sena UBT had applied to the G North ward office, the BMC has given permission to the party to organise the Dussehra rally. "We have given permission to Sena UBT faction for the rally at ShivajiPark" said an official from the BMC on the condition of anonymity.
The Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park holds immense historical significance for the city. The late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray used this rally to guide Shiv Sainiks. He was known for addressing the then Congress leadership and even Pakistan in his speeches, gaining immense national attention.