‘Permission or no permission, Uddhav Thackeray’s Sena will hold Dasara rally at Shivtirth’

A delegation of Sena leaders led by former Mumbai mayor Milind Vaidya met civic body officials to know the status of their application

With the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) yet to take a call in giving permission to the warring factions of the Shiv Sena on the Dasara rally, the party’s Member of Parliament Priyanka Chaturvedi assertively stated the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena would hold the customary procession at Shivtirth (as the Shivaji Park is referred to by the Shiv Sena) and there were no legal grounds for the civic authority to deny permission.

She said that the party would move the High Court in the event of not being permitted to hold the rally. “We were the first to apply for permission. There are no`ifs’ and`buts’. We will hold the rally at the same place on October 5,” the MP said.

Earlier in the day, a delegation of Sena leaders led by former Mumbai mayor Milind Vaidya met civic body officials to inquire about the status of their application.

“Whether we get permission or not, Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena will gather at Shivaji Park for the rally. The administration must either give us permission or refuse it. We are very firm on our decision,” Mr. Vaidya said, adding that even if they do not get an answer the party workers would gather at Shivtirth.

Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar said the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena should get the permission to hold the rally at Shivaji Park, and it should take recourse to law if the permission did not come through.