Congress, BJP wrangle over midnight dandiya

Charkop MLA had proposed to extend Navratri celebration deadline for 3 days

With the ‘promise’ of a three-day Navratri celebrations till midnight falling flat, the Congress and a few mandals have directed their ire at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Charkop Yogesh Sagar who had reportedly presented a proposal for the same to the chief minister. This year too, like all the previous years, permissions were in place for dandiya mandals to function till midnight only on the penultimate and last day.

Last week, certain local newspapers carried pictures of Mr Sagar along with chief minister Devendra Fadanvis, reporting that he had proposed extending the Navratri celebration deadline from 10 pm to 12 am for three days instead of just the two days.

Sheetal Mhatre, president of the women’s wing of Mumbai Congress, said following reports in the newspaper, she had presumed that on Saturday the deadline had been extended till midnight.

“I asked many people to go for dandiya celebrations late on Saturday, as even I was under the impression that the BJP government has given permission for three days. However, later people came back upset that the deadline remained 10 pm,” said Ms Mhatre.

Even mandals expressed their annoyance with an organiser circulating a message complaining that he and his fellow organisers had presumed the deadline had been extended till midnight even on Saturday.

However, he had to ask his patrons to leave by 10 pm instead.

“There was this news that mandals have been given extensions for three days till midnight just like last year. We trusted the message because BJP leaders were also taking about an extension.”

Meanwhile, Mr Sagar, the MLA under fire, said he had merely requested the chief minister for an extra day. “I met the CM and requested him to give an extension. The CM assured me he would look into it, but as the extension can be given only for limited days, it was not possible to accommodate one more day,” said Mr Sagar.

Mr Sagar alleged that the Congress was jobless and hence, were circulating such messages to defame its opponents ahead of the civic polls.