MVA’s ‘Halla Bol Morcha’ to clash with BJP’s ‘Maafi Mango Andolan’

Mumbai: In a face-off on the streets of the city, Maharashtra’s ruling combine and opposition parties will hold protests against each other on various issues on Saturday

Mumbai: In a face-off on the streets of the city, Maharashtra’s ruling combine and opposition parties will hold protests against each other on various issues on Saturday. While the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is set to hold a ‘Halla Bol Morcha’ from Byculla to CSMT, the BJP has announced its ‘Maafi Mango Andolan’ across the city.

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This is the first combined show of strength of the MVA constituents – the Shiv Sena (UBT), Nationalist Congress Party and Congress – after their government was toppled this June by the BJP and Sena defectors now in power.

After the initial reluctance, the Mumbai police on Friday gave the nod to the MVA morcha, which, however, comes with riders. The organisers have to ensure that it remains peaceful; that no provocative statements are made; no weapons, lathis or effigies are carried; that it will not disturb law and order; and that the route—from Richardson & Cruddas near JJ Hospital to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus via the JJ flyover—will be not changed.

All the senior leaders from MVA and smaller parties are expected to walk the 2.2-km stretch except NCP chief Sharad Pawar, who is yet to confirm his participation. “Due to his health issues, it may not be possible for him to walk for so long. At the most, he may come to address the crowd,” said a senior NCP leader. Pawar himself said recently in Karad that he had not yet decided whether to participate in the morcha or not.

Key leaders from the three parties will address the morcha at CSMT. The MVA has planned to bring two trailer trucks which will be used as a makeshift stage for the speeches of senior leaders. The parties have pulled out all stops to make the rally a success, from arranging vehicles to go around Mumbai urging people to join the morcha to getting special t-shirts designed for participants. They have vowed to collectively gather a crowd of over 150,000 people.

The reason behind the MVA morcha is purportedly to safeguard the ‘pride of Maharashtra’, which has been hurt by three factors: BJP leaders’ insulting remarks against Maharashtra’s icons, the alleged failure of the Shinde-Fadnavis government to respond aggressively to the recent Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute flare-up, and the exodus of major projects out of the state.

The BJP’s ‘Maafi Mango Andolan’, on its part, is against statements made by Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Sanjay Raut and Sushama Andhare, for which BJP leaders are demanding an apology from MVA leaders Uddhav Thackeray, Ajit Pawar and Nana Patole. BJP MLA Ashish Shelar said that Raut’s remark that Dr Ambedkar was born in Maharashtra was a “conspiracy” hatched by the Shiv Sena (UBT) to “defame” Dr Ambedkar. Andhare’s recent remarks on Lord Ram, Sri Krishna and Hindu saints were also, he said, a deliberate insult to Hindu gods and the Warkari sect, which had created unrest among the people.

“Our workers will hold black flags to protest against Thackeray, Pawar and Patole,” said Shelar. “Thackeray should clarify if he justifies the insult meted out by his party leaders to Hindu gods and the great Dr Ambedkar. He also should tell us whether his leaders would dare to speak thus about the almighty from other religions.”

State Congress chief Nana Patole said the BJP’s protest was just an attempt to steal the attention from the MVA’s grand morcha. “The BJP has lost its sleep over the response the MVA is getting for its morcha,” he said. “Why was it silent when Maharashtra’s icons were insulted by governor B S Koshyari, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi, MLC Prasad Lad and Union minister Raosaheb Danve? There is simmering anger against the BJP in Maharashtra, and Shelar is trying to salvage his party by announcing the counter-protest.”