 "After Sena ruckus, BMC seals all political party offices in civic building")
In an unprecedented move, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) administration has sealed the offices of all political parties in the civic headquarters, triggering protests by different outfits, here on Thursday.
The BMC's move came after a huge ruckus on Wednesday evening between former municipal corporators of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena (BSS) with both attempting to grab control of the erstwhile Shiv Sena office located there.
Sena (UBT) Chief Spokesperson and MP Sanjay Raut slammed the BMC Commissioner I.S. Chahal's decision, terming it as "high-handedness" and demanded to know under what rules this was done.
The party's leaders in the civic body demanded a meeting with Chahal to discuss the issue, but after he was reportedly not available, they staged a vociferous sit-in protest in the civic building.
They chanted slogans of "Khokhe, Khokhe" against the BSS ex-corporators and accused them of trespassing and attempting to 'grab' the Sena (UBT) party office illegally on Wednesday evening.
Besides Sena (UBT), leaders of the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, Samajwadi Party also strongly criticised the civic body's clampdown on their party offices.
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The civic headquarters witnessed a huge ruckus Wednesday evening with the Sena (UBT) and BSS leaders clashing and indulging in fisticuffs to establish their supremacy over the office premises and stake claim to it, even as the BMC elections are round the corner.
The police were summoned to break up the mini-war, all the leaders were shunted out and the office was temporarily locked, as an uneasy calm seemed to return.
In view of a tense situation, the civic body sealed all the offices -- allotted to the major, recognised political outfits with elected corporators -- in the BMC headquarters, situated opposite the world heritage Central Railway headquarters, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.
--IANS
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