Aaditya performs Maha Aarti at temple, Sena (UBT)-BJP workers clash outside Dadar station

After recent elections, Shiv Sena (UBT) revisits Hindutva, opposing a demolition notice for a Hanuman temple, sparking conflict with BJP leaders.

MUMBAI: After its poor showing in the recent assembly elections, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has been aggressively revisiting the Hindutva agenda. To underline the party’s commitment to this, Aaditya Thackeray raised his voice over the demolition notice to a Hanuman temple at Dadar East station and performed a Maha Aarti there on Saturday evening.

Aaditya performs Maha Aarti at temple, Sena (UBT)-BJP workers clash outside Dadar station

Not to be outdone, BJP leaders sprang into action, and MLA Mangal Prabhat Lodha declared that railway officials had stayed the notice on the instance of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal activists. The demolition was actually stayed by union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw after being approached by BJP leaders of Maharashtra.

The demolition notice had been sent by Central Railway (CR) on December 4 to the temple’s trustees, pointing out that it was an encroachment on railway land and was affecting the smooth movement of commuters and vehicles. However, politicians chose to give it a purely religious spin.

“The first thing that happened after the BJP’s victory in Maharashtra was the demolition notice to the Hanuman temple,” Aaditya said on Saturday. “After we raised our voice against it and I announced that I would perform a Maha Aarti this evening, BJP leaders scrambled to the temple and announced a stay on the demolition. The BJP’s Hindutva is election-oriented and pure hypocrisy.”

The first BJP leader to reach the temple in the afternoon was Lodha. “The railways have stayed the demolition notice after Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal activists raised their voice against it and pursued the matter with the railways,” he announced.

Despite the stay, Aaditya did go to the temple in the evening with MP Sanjay Raut, MP Anil Desai and other leaders and performed a Maha Aarti. BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, who beat him to the place, was faced with Sena (UBT) workers who shouted slogans against him and tried to stop him from entering. The face-off blew up into a full-fledged fight between Sena (UBT) and BJP workers outside Dadar station. The police separated them and extricated Somaiya from the place but there was simmering tension outside Dadar station for a while.

CR stayed the demolition notice issued to the trustees of the 80-year-old temple following an intervention by Vaishnaw after a high-level meeting with BJP leaders from Maharashtra. “The Assistant Divisional Engineer (ADEN) of the Mumbai Division had earlier issued a notice regarding the Mandir at Dadar Station, near Central Railway Platform No 12, East Side, behind the RPF Office, vide office letter on December 4. Thereupon the notice has been stayed,” said a CR official.

CR’s letter issued to the trustees stated: ‘During inspection, it was found that you encroached and constructed unauthorised temple on railway land. This is affecting easy movement of commuters and vehicular movement as well.’ (sic)