Memorial of Thackeray govt’s corruption being demolished: Somaiya

BMC began demolishing five illegal film studios in Mumbai's Madh-Marve area. BJP leader Kirit Somaiya called it the demolition of the "memorial of Thackeray government's corruption". The National Green Tribunal had deemed the structures illegal as they violated Coastal Regulation Zone rules. Somaiya accused Aaditya Thackeray and Aslam Shaikh of blessing the studios. The demolitions will continue for two days.

Mumbai: Even as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday started the demolition of five film studios in the Madh-Marve, Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former MP Kirit Somaiya called the action as demolition of ‘memorial of Thackeray government’s corruption’.

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Somaiya reiterated his allegations that former ministers of Maha Vikas Aghadi government, Aaditya Thackeray and Congress’s Aslam Shaikh, had blessed these illegal studios.

The demolitions will go on for two days as per a BMC statement. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday passed an order deeming these structures illegal. These studios had misused permissions and built permanent structures instead of temporary ones in violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules.

Somaiya, who visited the site in Madh-Marve on Friday, termed the action as “demolition of the memorial of Thackeray government’s corruption”. He said that justice was done by the tribunal after two years of rigorous following up.

“The permission to 12 studios was given by the Thackeray government in 2021. There are a dozen such studios, with a collective worth of ₹1,000 crore and an annual turnover of ₹100 crore. Aaditya Thackeray and Aslam Shaikh (who were guardian ministers (Maha Vikas Aghadi) of the city at that time) would visit the place and had blessed these constructions.

“The construction blatantly violates the CRZ and No Development Zone (NDZ) norms. I had to fight for over two years, but finally, the justice has been done. All the studios will be razed one by one,” said Somaiya. He, however, evaded the question when asked if he had any proof to back his claim.

Meanwhile, the BMC said that the illegal film studios are being demolished with the help of 10 engineers and 40 staff members in the presence of Mumbai Police. Three Poclain machines, three JCB bulldozers, two dumpers, and two gas cutters are being used by the BMC for the demolition.