Mumbai: Khilafat panel protests garden development at Nagpada junction

The All India Khilafat Committee has opposed the development of a garden at Nagpada Junction, stating that the expansion which would result in reducing the road width of Maulana Azad Road, would impede the Eid-E-Milad procession which takes place every year and passes through the spot.

"We have noted with concern that the proposed beautification programme at Nagpada junction undertaken by MCGM will reduce the width of erstwhile road and create a bottleneck, hence a safety and security hazard," read the letter by members of the committee to municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta.

DNA had earlier reported that local corporator Rais Shaikh was taking the initiative to develop the island. It was to have a 20-ft pole to hois the national flag.

"A lot of people vie to take a ring view of the Eid procession. For beautification alone, the road width would have reduced by over 3 feet of the 30 feet road. Also, we feel that the flag pole should be towards the centre and not in a corner. It is not just the Eid juloos. Other programmes are also held here," said Sarfaraz Arzu, vice-chairman of Khilafat Comittee. "We spoke to the local corporator and has agreed to the changes."

While BMC chief Ajoy Mehta and corporator Rais Shaikh did not respond to DNA's text messages, Nitin Arte, assistant municipal commissioner of E ward under whose jurisdiction the area falls, said, "Nothing has come to me on the issue."