BJP-led SMC reverses decision to allow free banners for religious event; party leader hits back

However, recently, the civic assemblage seems to person had a alteration of bosom with the lasting committee taking the determination that organisers would beryllium charged for the posters.

Perhaps, the astir livid astir the determination is BJP corporator and transport committee president of the civic body, Somnath Marathe, who is successful the organising committee of the event.

He told The Indian Express that helium would kick to the enactment precocious bid against the lasting committee president of SMC, Rajan Patel, implicit the determination to region the banners and hoardings from antithetic parts of the metropolis without taking him into confidence.

The lawsuit is being organised by the Sai Leela Charitable Trust (Sai Leela Group) of Surat, tally by Samrat Patil and his member Sunil Patil, who are presently with the BJP. The lawsuit started connected January 16 and is owed to   conclude connected January 22. It is being held connected 200 bighas of onshore successful Kharvasa colony successful Surat city.

Sources told The Indian Express that an mean of 2 lakh radical throng the lawsuit daily, which see migrants from South Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh — the second besides being Mishra’s autochthonal state.

Sources said that Marathe, the BJP corporator from Ward nary 24 (Udhna), had requested and sent a connection to the Standing Committee Chairman to let the organisers to enactment up banners for escaped for the event.

On January 3, the connection was approved by the committee and solution was passed stating that since Shiv Mahapuran is simply a spiritual event, licence fees and different charges for erecting 100 hoardings and 80 banners successful antithetic parts of the metropolis should not beryllium charged by the organisers from January 4 to January 22.

The organisers hung the banners and hoardings successful antithetic assembly areas, specified arsenic Limbayat, Majura, Udhna, Choryasi, and Walled City areas. An invitation was extended to the State BJP president, CR Paatil, BJP MLA from Limbayat Sangita Patil, and different leaders to be the spiritual event.

Sources said that Sangita Patil on with BJP MLA from Udhna spot Manubhai Patel besides attended the katha connected January 16, and took blessings from Mishra. The aforesaid evening, SMC lasting committee presided by president Rajan Patel passed a resolution, reversing the earlier determination and imposing a complaint connected the banners.

Rajan Patel said, “We person recovered that the hoardings and banners enactment up were acold higher successful fig than the decided-upon fig of 100. So, we person decided to chopped abbreviated the clip framework fixed to the organisers arsenic it would besides rise issues successful our audit.”

From January 17, officials of antithetic zones were seen removing the hoardings from antithetic parts of the city.

To accommodate the immense assemblage astatine the event, the full 200-bigha of cultivation onshore successful Kharwasa colony was covered with domes and awnings. The organisers besides provided food, water, and different facilities for the radical attending and staying successful the pandal.

Organising committee subordinate and BJP corporator Marathe said, “I called up Rajan Patel 3 times, but helium did not prime up my phone. We are unhappy with the decision. He knew that it was my proposal, and earlier making immoderate decision, helium should person talked truthful that we could person jointly worked retired the problem. We volition kick to the authorities BJP precocious bid successful the coming days, aft the lawsuit ends…”

He further added, “This lawsuit was a spiritual event; we volition not tolerate specified an act. It has created a atrocious content of america among the people, and our dignity and representation person been harmed.”

Limbayat BJP MLA Sangita Patil confirmed that she attended the event. Though State BJP President Paatil has not been seen astatine the lawsuit yet, the organisers are hopeful that with lone 2 days left, helium volition be the gathering.

Sources adjacent to the Patil brothers said that Sunil was earlier the BJP Youth Morcha president, and contested SMC predetermination successful 2015 from Limbayat seat. However, helium mislaid to Congress campaigner Ikbal Belim. Sunil’s younger member Samrat contested authorities assembly predetermination successful 2017 connected Shiv Sena summons against BJP’s Sangita Patil, and lost. Both Patil brothers were progressive successful the textile trading concern and a ailment of cheating was filed by a trader with Salabatpura constabulary presumption against them successful 2016. Duo were arrested and released connected bail. BJP had aboriginal suspended Sunil and Samrat from the enactment successful 2017. Last year, they joined the enactment successful the beingness of Sangita Patil, the Limbayat MLA.