Mumbai: MNS takes veg vs non-veg issue to Lower Parel market

After residential buildings, the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has taken the vegetarian versus non-vegetarian debate to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) markets. MNS has alleged that the BMC staffers, under pressure from the neighbouring societies dominated by vegetarians, are shunting out the fish and meat vendors from a Lower Parel market.

According to the BMC, however, the 106-year-old Shantabai Hule market on NM Joshi Marg is in a dilapidated condition and unsafe for use. The market, mostly occupied by fish and meat vendors, has around 90 small stalls. The civic body has asked the vendors to move to markets in Andheri and Versova.

The civic officials said the market is a single-storey structure made of wooden frames. "We conducted a visual inspection and found that the frames had become weak over the years. We issued notices to all vendors, that they will be given alternate accommodation as Project-Affected Persons (PAPs). This has nothing to do with any vegetarian-non-vegetarian controversy," said an official.

MNS Group Leader in BMC, Sandeep Deshpande, however, said, "The BMC has declared the building unsafe based on just a visual inspection. They haven't even conducted a structural audit. They have done this under pressure from the neighbouring societies, who don't want a fish market next to their homes."

"The market is over a century old. Instead of demolishing it, the BMC must preserve it as a heritage structure. We have asked the civic body to call for a joint meeting of all the departments concerned, and the vendors as well. We are not against redevelopment, but Marathi people can't be driven away," he added.

Last year in November, Deshpande had submitted a proposal to the BMC to revoke permission to developers who refused to sell apartments to non-vegetarian households.

The vendors, too, have slammed BMC's inspection report. "We got our own private audit of the structure done. Our report says it is safe and just needs some repair. We are not against redevelopment, but the BMC cannot ask us to pack up without giving us a detailed plan. If they give us a plan and rehabilitate us in the same locality, we have no problem," said Abhay Patil of the vendors' association.

Meanwhile, the BJP has slammed MNS for politicising the issue and creating controversy. Manoj Kotak, BJP Group Leader in BMC, said the corporation was simply following procedure. "There is no politics involved. The structure is old and can fall anytime. MNS is politicising the issue to retain is depleting vote bank," he said.

The vegetarian versus non-vegetarian debate took off last month, when a Maharashtrian family in Dahisar turned a two-year-old dispute with their Gujarati neighbours into a sectarian quarrel. The Maharastrians said the neighbours discriminated against them as they cooked non-vegetarian food at home. The Gujaratis, however, said the family was over-reacting.