20 August,2026 05:41 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Aaditya Thackeray said that the BJP wants the BMC to take away such plots, privatise them and give them to its own people. File Pic
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday alleged that open spaces in Mumbai were being handed over to people and organisations linked to the ruling BJP, reported the PTI.
Addressing a press conference, Thackeray announced a âTiranga' rally in Bandra on Sunday to protest against what he described as decisions to privatise public open spaces. He said the protest would be non-political and would be attended by the Congress and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
Thackeray accused the BJP-led state government and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) of attempting to take control of open plots, privatise them and hand them over to entities close to the ruling party.
"The BJP wants the BMC to take away such plots, privatise them and give them to its own people. This is corruption," he alleged.
He further claimed that three plots were being allotted to a trust associated with a BJP lawmaker at what he described as a nominal price.
The allegations have not been independently established.
Thackeray also raised concerns over the proposed change in the use of the Neville D'Souza football ground in Bandra West, according to the PTI.
He claimed that the city's only football turf in the area was being converted into a convention or exhibition centre.
According to Thackeray, the move would deprive thousands of football players, including students, of access to the facility.
He also alleged that the proposed centre could be named after a BJP leader.
The Sena (UBT) leader further alleged that 22 plots belonging to the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking were being privatised, as per the PTI.
He also claimed that land reserved for a sports complex was being proposed for use as a petrol pump.
The controversy comes as the Bombay High Court on Thursday expressed displeasure with the BMC over its decision to approve a proposal to change the reservation of the Neville D'Souza football ground to an exhibition centre, the news agency reported.
The court was reportedly particularly concerned because the civic body had earlier assured that the status quo would be maintained until a petition challenging the proposed change was heard.
The issue is now at the centre of a wider debate over the protection and use of Mumbai's public open spaces.
Thackeray said the Bandra rally would seek to draw public attention to decisions concerning Mumbai's open spaces and demand that land meant for public use remain accessible to citizens, as per the PTI.
The Congress and MNS are expected to participate in the proposed protest, which Thackeray described as a non-political citizens' movement.
(with PTI inputs)
