Aaditya slams Maharashtra government for Coastal Road hoarding plan; Deora hits back

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray claimed that the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government was creating space for a minimum of four to five hoardings along the Coastal Road when there is no space for them.

Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora, however, asked Thackeray to present a "real agenda" for Mumbai's development instead of writing "love letters" to the civic authorities.

Thackeray claimed the state government plans to prop up huge hoardings in the open spaces near Haji Ali and Amarsons Park/ Breach Candy of the Coastal Road gardens.

"They've delayed the coastal road... escalated the cost...For electoral credit, they opened the wrong lanes without planning. There is absolutely no word or communication with local MP, MLAs and ALMs on landscaping and gardening," he said in a post on 'X'.

He also tagged his letter to the BMC commissioner in the post.

Thackeray said the government has carved out spaces for a minimum of four to five hoardings in the proposed open spaces along the Coastal Road, even before these areas have been opened to the public.

"We will strongly oppose these hoardings. In our original dream project, the Coastal Road, and in our undertaking to the courts, there is no space for hoardings. Our word to Mumbai is that when we form the government this year, we will take down these hoardings and punish the officials and contractors for ruining our city," he said.

In his letter to Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, Thackeray cited that the approval for hoardings was contrary to the vision of a hoarding-free Coastal Road.

He further pointed out that it was also a violation of the undertaking submitted in the Supreme Court not to commercially exploit the Coastal Road.

Thackeray alleged the hoardings were approved to benefit the government's "contractor friends".

"If hoardings are permitted, it can be a potential threat to life and property with an increasing number of cyclones hitting the western coast," he said in the letter.

The first phase of the Coastal Road was inaugurated in March this year and is a 10.58 km section from the Princess Street flyover to the Worli end of the Bandra-Worli Sealink.

Hitting back at Thackeray, Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Milind Deora said, "Instead of writing love letters to the BMC commissioner on random issues, present a real agenda for Mumbai's development. Under Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's leadership, we've seen substantial progress in Mumbai's infrastructure. While you stalled major projects like Mumbai Metro, the Mahayuti has worked tirelessly to complete them ahead of deadlines."

"Mumbai will get the biggest public park at Mahalaxmi Racecourse, replacing your 2013 theme park idea with green cover. Focus on Worli, where I witnessed your unpopularity first hand on Saturday and where your candidate barely led by 6,500 votes in the Lok Sabha elections," he wrote on 'X'.