25 November,2025 07:57 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Dr Shrikant Shinde attends a meeting with officials and legislators in Mantralaya on Tuesday.
Shiv Sena Member of Parliament (MP) Dr Shrikant Shinde on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), alleging that the party "did nothing" for the Marathi community during its control of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and was now invoking the "Marathi manoos" issue only for electoral gains.
Dr Shinde spoke to reporters after a meeting with Urban Development Principal Secretary and Additional Chief Secretary Asim Gupta on the issue of 65 unauthorised buildings in the Kalyan-Dombivli municipal limits. The meeting was held at Mantralaya and attended by officials, including Thane Collector Dr Shrikrishna Panchal and Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Commissioner Abhinav Goyal, apart from local legislators and Shiv Sena leaders.
According to Dr Shinde, thousands of families living in the 65 buildings - declared unauthorised by the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation - are now facing the threat of eviction after a court ordered their demolition.
"The residents have been cheated by developers. A judicial order exists, but we discussed how relief can be provided within that framework," he said.
Dr Shinde proposed that the affected residents form housing societies and complete the required legal processes, which could ease the transfer of land ownership rights to them. However, "technical difficulties" in registering the societies and updating property records remain, he added, urging that these procedures be expedited. He also pushed for faster action against the developers responsible.
He said instructions had been issued to prepare a joint proposal by the state urban development department, the Thane Collectorate, and KDMC for submission before the next cabinet meeting.
Targeting Shiv Sena (UBT), Dr Shinde said: "When they were in power in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, nothing was done for the Marathi people. The Marathi manoos deprived of homes spent 10 to 15 years in transit camps. Their right to housing was never seriously considered."
He added that the opposition was raising the issue now only because "they feel they are losing ground", and claimed they were appealing to the Election Commission for political mileage.
Dr Shinde reiterated that the Mahayuti government had worked to secure housing rights for Marathi residents and said he "firmly stands" with the alliance.
