Jain community protests BMC closure of Dadar Kabutarkhana, defies ban to feed pigeons
Mumbai: In a defiant show of protest, hundreds of members of the Jain community gathered at the Dadar Kabutarkhana in Mumbai on Wednesday morning, forcibly reopening the pigeon-feeding area that had been closed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) following court directives.
The protest comes in the wake of a June 30 Bombay High Court order, which instructed the BMC to lodge First Information Reports (FIRs) against individuals feeding pigeons at Dadar West and other locations in contravention of civic policies. The court noted that such feeding was being done "illegally" and in a "defiant" manner despite existing prohibitions.
On Sunday, August 3, the BMC sealed the Dadar Kabutarkhana by erecting bamboo structures and covering the area with tarpaulin sheets. The move followed directions from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who had instructed that pigeon feeding be permitted only in a "controlled manner".
However, on the morning of August 6, protesters, predominantly women, gathered at the site, tore down the temporary coverings, and entered the enclosure to offer grains to the pigeons. The protest led to temporary chaos as the Mumbai Police attempted to contain the crowd, but no violence was reported.
Sandeep Doshi, representing the Dadar Kabutarkhana Trust, said the act was spontaneous and peaceful. "Some other members from other communities also gathered and the extreme action was taken by them. While some things happened in the heat of the moment, we did not break anything, did not fight with the police nor the administration,” he said.
As of Wednesday evening, the Mumbai Police confirmed that no FIRs had been registered in connection with the incident.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Gujarat voted for development & good governance, says Pradhan as BJP sweeps local body polls
New Delhi (PTI): Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday said the people of Gujarat have reaffirmed their faith in the politics of development, stability and good governance as the BJP swept the local body elections by winning all 15 municipal corporations and 33 out of 34 district panchayats in the state.
Thanking the voters, Pradhan said the result is a testament to the people's unwavering trust in the BJP, the relentless hard work of the party workers and the strength of the organisation under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
“The people of Gujarat have once again made it clear that their trust remains firmly aligned with the politics of development, stability and good governance. I express my heartfelt gratitude to the people of Gujarat for the support received by the BJP in the local body elections,” Pradhan posted on X.
“Under the guidance of the Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Gujarat's Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, this result is a remarkable testament to the people's unwavering trust, the relentless hard work of the Gujarat BJP workers, and the strength of the organisation,” he added.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the people of Gujarat for what he termed a "sweeping mandate" in the local body polls, saying the bond between the state and the BJP has grown even stronger.
Modi said people have voted for the politics of good governance, and assured that the party would work harder to take Gujarat to new heights of progress.
Though final results for 250 taluka panchayats and 84 municipalities were awaited, data from the State Election Commission (SEC) showed that the ruling BJP won most of these local bodies while some were bagged by the Congress, AAP and Independents.
Polling was held on Sunday for 15 municipal corporations, 84 municipalities, 34 district panchayats and 260 taluka panchayats.
The BJP emerged a clear winner in the municipal corporations of Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar and Rajkot, besides the newly created municipal corporations of Navsari, Gandhidham, Morbi, Vapi, Anand, Nadiad, Mehsana, Porbandar and Surendranagar.
