Authorities not accepting Sena application for Dussehra rally in Mumbai, says Aaditya

Shiv Sena leader and former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday said authorities were not accepting an application from his party to hold its annual Dussehra rally, a several-decade-old political event held in Mumbai's sprawling Shivaji Park and synonymous with the fiery speeches of founder late Bal Thackeray.

Nagpur: Shiv Sena leader and former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday said authorities were not accepting an application from his party to hold its annual Dussehra rally, a several-decade-old political event held in Mumbai's sprawling Shivaji Park and synonymous with the fiery speeches of founder late Bal Thackeray.

He was replying to queries by the media at the airport here on the likelihood of both the Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde factions of the party applying for permission for the rally. "The Shiv Sena is seeking permission for holding its annual Dussehra rally in Mumbai but authorities are not accepting our application. This (Eknath Shinde dispensation) is a repressive government," he said.

To a query on whether the Eknath Shinde faction is trying to hijack the Dussehra rally, he said people have come to know what is behind the masks of the rebels and were not liking it. adding that his 'Shivsamvaad Yatra' was getting a very good response statewide. "The people from Maharashtra, country and world have seen this (Shinde government) is 'khokhe ki sarkar' (alluding that rebel MLAs took money to switch sides, khokha being slang for crore). People are standing with the Shiv Sena and not these traitors," he claimed. (PTI)