Aaditya Thackeray meets Fadnavis to discuss Pathankot attack, garden at Mahalaxmi Racecourse

Stressing on the need for enhanced security at Juhu aerodrome in the wake of the Pathankot terror attack, Yuva Sena president Aaditya Thackeray met chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday. He also discussed the Shiv Sena's demand for a 'Mumbai Garden' at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse.

Aaditya said he had written to the Centre in 2014 about the lack of security personnel at the aerodrome, which was "making Mumbai vulnerable to terrorism", adding that the letter had not been replied to yet.

He said Fadnavis had agreed to act on his request to deploy CISF officers at the aerodrome.

The Mumbai park was proposed by the Sena to the erstwhile Congress-NCP-led state government on the racecourse. The Sena wants the 226-acre racecourse, lease of which ended after 99 years, to be developed as an open and recreational area, with the racecourse being given space outside Mumbai like it is in other cities.

Aaditya also sought that the stretch of the Western Express Highway from the Bandra-end of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link to Dahisar be handed over to the BMC for upkeep instead of the multi-agency jurisdiction as is the case now. The presence of multiple agencies, such as the PWD, MSRDC and MMRDA, had led to poor co-ordination on repairs and maintenance, which led to bad roads, signals and crossings and broken dividers.

"Hand it over to the BMC, it is a city authority, an elected face," he stressed.