Mumbai: MNS workers disrupt office functioning at D ward

The Gamdevi police took 16 people into custody for creating nuisance in the D ward office (Nanachowk, Malabar Hill) on Monday. The people were at D ward to discuss permissions being denied to certain pandals for the Ganpati festival in Khetwadi. They, in fact,  took away the chair of the assistant municipal commissioner to the compound. 

“The ward officer had given us time. Members of Shiv Sena and we were there at the D ward office as per the given time. We wanted to discuss the permission he had denied to over 20 pandals in the bylanes of Khetwadi. These have been there for years together,” said Nilesh Shridhankar, member of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). 

As per the order of the High Court, permission can be given to only those pandals on the road where there is enough space for an ambulance and a fire brigade to pass through. 

“The roads are narrow and pandals cannot be shrunk from their size. There are other SC orders that BMC is not following,” said Shridhankar. However, he did not answer when asked about why he refrained from approaching the court in this case. Confirming the incident, Gokulsingh Patil, Senior Police Inspector from Gamdevi Police Station said: “Sixteen persons from MNS and Sena have been taken into custody on charges of rioting and illegal assembly.”