Mumbai, September 23
In a shot in the arm for the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction, the Bombay High Court on Friday granted it permission to hold its annual Dasehra rally at the iconic Shivaji Park ground in central Mumbai.
For the Thackeray faction the development has a symbolic value as Shivaji Park is associated with the Sena since its formation, and his group is locked in a tussle with the rebel group led by Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde to establish itself as the “real” Shiv Sena.
The Shinde faction had also sought permission to hold the rally at the same venue on the same day (October 5), and opposed the Thackeray group’s petition in the High Court.
Welcoming the ruling, Thackeray appealed his supporters to maintain discipline while attending the rally on Dasehra. Thackeray supporters celebrated the ruling outside the Sena’s headquarters in Dadar, close to the Shivaji Park, as well as near Thackeray’s residence Matoshree in Bandra and in neighbouring Thane.
