Over 600 Mumbaikars participated in a peaceful protest held on Sunday against the controversial Metro 3 car shed site near the picnic point in Aarey forest. “The new CM Eknath Shinde was part of the government, which had taken the decision to shift the metro car shed out of Aarey and there is suddenly this U-turn,” said Ruben Mascarenhas of Aam Aadmi Party, which is also part of the Save Aarey movement.
Protesters claimed that the metro car shed issue is being dragged following a political vendetta even though an alternative plan was ready by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). The protest also saw participation from some members of tribal settlements inside the forest.
Meanwhile, the day after Shiv Sena expelled former party Member of Parliament Shivajirao Adhalrao-Patil, the party withdrew the expulsion order. However, party secretary and MP Vinayak Raut on Sunday issued a clarification. “A news item was inadvertently published in Saamana today regarding expulsion of Shivajirao Adhalrao-Patil. However, he continues to be party deputy leader. This information is being released from party’s central office,” stated Raut. Adhalrao told The Indian Express that the party leadership was apparently upset with him because he had congratulated Eknath Shinde on becoming the chief minister through a Facebook post.
In other news, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction sealed the legislative party office in the Vidhan Bhavan. A white paper was stuck with a plastic tape on the closed doors of the Sena legislative party office in the Vidhan Bhavan, with a message in Marathi written on it saying, “The office is closed as per instructions of the Shiv Sena legislative party.”
