Aaditya Thackeray accuses BMC of giving open spaces to institutions linked to BJP lawmakers
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray has accused the BJP-controlled Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation of misallocating public open spaces to institutions linked to BJP lawmakers. Thackeray has threatened protests and legal action to prevent the conversion of recreational grounds into commercial or residential sites.
Why it matters
This reflects ongoing urban governance tensions in Mumbai regarding the preservation of public land versus commercial development.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday (August 23, 2026) accused the BJP -controlled Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) of giving open spaces to institutions linked to the party’s lawmakers.
If a need arises, Mr. Thackeray warned, he would do a sit-in outside the BMC office to reclaim the open spaces.
The former Maharashtra Minister was speaking at a rally organised to protest against the BMC’s decision to convert the Neville D’Souza football turf in Bandra into a convention centre.
He said a legal battle has also been initiated in court to save the ground.
Mumbai’s open spaces, playgrounds and recreational grounds should be kept as they are, without changing their reservation status, he said.
“Mumbai is witnessing a change. For the last four years, the reservation of more than 15 open plots has been changed to residential or commercial,” Mr. Thackeray alleged.
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