New Delhi: In another face-off brewing between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, the Dahi Handi celebrations are set to escalate the ongoing tussle & war of words between the two.
And, at the heart of the fresh flare-up is Worli’s Jamboree Maidan which has been Sena’s primary Dahi Handi celebrations spot for many years. But, this year, BJP has taken over the ground for the celebrations. The development assumes significance because it is the constituency of Uddhav’s son Aaditya Thackeray.
The BJP, in an apparent show of strength, has also planned to organize 370 programs of Dahi Handi celebrations across the Metropolitan city on Friday.
On the other hand, Shiv Sena has planned to organize Nishta Dahi Handi at the junction of Shiv Sena Bhavan near Shivaji Park.
BJP & Sena trade barbs over Dahi Handi
While the Dahi Handi celebrations stopped after 2019 due to Covid-19 outbreak, the changeover of organizers has given political fodder to rivals to take shot at each other.
Taking a swipe at Shiv Sena, Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar said, “They got elected on our strength and started claiming it as their bastion. Those who betrayed the ‘saffron’ have started crumbling, they are now rattled and will collapse in Worli.”
Hitting back at the BJP, Sena leader Sachin Ahir tore into BJP for its obsession over Worli and even dared the saffron party spokesperson to drop his seat and contest from Worli constituency.
According to a portal, Aaditya Thackeray replying on the ground controversy said that the people of the constituency know the ‘traitors’ and they will teach them a lesson.
Sachin Ahir, Sena MLC organized the festival on behalf of party since 2015 but stopped organizing the festival after pandemic in 2019. The party has 3 MLAs & 6 corporators from Worli but none came forward. Meanwhile, a BJP leader booked the ground for Dahi Handi celebrations and set the stage for fresh bickering with Uddhav camp.
