RSS seeks land for shakha in lieu of one at Bal Thackeray memorial

A fresh strife between the BJP and Shiv Sena may be around the corner as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) Dadar shakha has demanded a piece of land near Shivaji Park ground

Mumbai A fresh strife between the Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena may be around the corner as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) Dadar shakha has demanded a piece of land near Shivaji Park ground.

They claimed that the Bal Thackeray Smruti Sthal (memorial) has taken away the space where they had been conducting their activities since 1967 (ANI)

They claimed that the Bal Thackeray Smruti Sthal (memorial) has taken away the space where they had been conducting their activities since 1967. In a letter to the deputy commissioner of the improvement cell of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) last October, the RSS requested an alternate land to mobilise their shakha in Shivaji Park.

“We had been holding the shakha activities at Shivaji Park ground since 1967 by paying an annual rent under vacant land tenancy (VLT) norms. We have been facing problems in since the smruti sthal came on the land. We could not pay the rent since 2008 owing to the absence of mapping of the land by BMC. The mapping will now be difficult because of the memorial. We request you to allow us an alternate space at the open land near Nana Nani Park next to the Shivaji Park ground,” the letter stated.

However, civic authorities privy to the issue said, “Verbally, RSS has made a demand for land that is part of the smruti sthal. However, this demand does not reflect in the letter BMC has received from the organisation. There is a discrepancy in their verbal and written communication.”

According to the officials from G/North ward, they have verified the use of the land and submitted a report to the estate department of BMC. “Further, the decision over the allotment of the alternative land will be taken by the estate department. Such open lands are given by the BMC for various activities on yearly lease. The RSS had been paying the lease till 2008, but could not make payment after that because of the absence of mapping,” he said.

Shiv Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande said, “BMC’s concerned administrative ward will take appropriate action on the application by the RSS as per the set norms and rules. Balasaheb Thackeray’s memorial is at the ground for years and it is the matter of pride for all of us.”

Keshav Ubale, incharge of BMC’s estate department said, “My department received the letter and related documents a couple of days ago. It was forwarded to the estate department, as the ward office does not have the map and details of all land parcels where vacant land tenancy applies. Procedurally, the ward office will recce the area, and propose an alternate feasible land parcel in the surroundings that can be leased to the applicant.”

A senior civic official said, “Simply put, the organisation that BMC leased out land to [RSS] has requested tenancy for an alternate land parcel in the same area.”

Nitin Mhatre, former secretary, Dadar district of RSS, said, “We have not objected to the existing memorial of Hon Balasaheb Thackeray. We respect the leader and have written for an alternate space for shakha. We believe it will be allotted to us by BMC by following due process.”

The letter written by Mhatre also states that the RSS Shakha had been regularly paying the rent for 1755 sqmtr land since April 1, 1967, while the property tax has been paid till March 2022. “The annual rent could not be paid after 2008 since the Estate department of the G/North ward insisted on the mapping of the plot before payment of the rent,” it has stated.

Senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungnatiwar said, “We respect Hon Balasaheb Thackeray and have an emotional attachment with the memorial. BMC will take appropriate decisions over the alternate plot.”