Sena (UBT) to hold rally at Bandra ground to protect open spaces in city

The rally will be held at the Neville D’Souza Football Ground, and Maharashtra Navirman Sena (MNS) leader Amit Thackeray as well as representatives from the Congress will be in attendance

Mumbai: Concerned over the handing over of open spaces and playgrounds in the city, including the Neville D’Souza Football Ground in Bandra, to private parties, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday urged citizens to join the ‘Tiranga rally’ on Sunday irrespective of their political ideology, with the aim of saving open spaces in Mumbai.

The rally will be held at the Neville D’Souza Football Ground (Hindustan Times)

The rally will be held at the Neville D’Souza Football Ground, and Maharashtra Navirman Sena (MNS) leader Amit Thackeray as well as representatives from the Congress will be in attendance, Thackeray said.

Speaking to reporters at the Andheri Sports Complex, Thackeray alleged that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was trying to “gift” Mumbai’s open spaces to his friends and BJP legislators. He clarified that his opposition was not directed at any particular legislator/ trust, but the policy processes and corruption through which such moves were being executed.

“Recreation grounds and playground plots should not be handed over to MLAs of any political party, including the BJP,” he said.

Thackeray said the Andheri Sports Complex was developed when Shiv Sena was in power in the BMC. Pointing towards facilities in the premises such as walking and cycling tracks, he slammed the BJP-led government for handing it over to an educational organisation led by a BJP MLC.

The BJP wants to control the civic body, take over open spaces and privatise them, he alleged. “We will continue to oppose this. As Mumbaikars, we will take this matter to the streets,” Thackeray said.

BJP state chief spokesperson Navnath Ban refuted allegations of the chief minister trying to “gift” Mumbai’s open spaces, saying, “Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has nothing to do with the open space issue. If anything wrong is there in any case, the state government will review it.”.

The controversy over transfer of open spaces in the city to private players and corresponding changes in reservation of plots erupted in May 2026, when the Neville D’Souza Ground in Bandra and two plots in Malabar Hill were handed over to private entities. Later, three vacant plots measuring 16 acres were given to an organisation headed by BJP MLC Amrish Patel for maintenance and operations.