BJP’s city unit chief Ashish Shelar said while Shiv Sena’s idea of nightlife is elite-centric, the BJP intended to help hawkers and deprived Mumbaikars by creating special hawking patches for night markets
Mumbai : The ruling partners in the state and the Mumbai municipal corporation are at loggerheads over who will take the credit for reviving the nightlife that existed once upon a time in Mumbai. While the Shiv Sena is keen on allowing bars and pubs, along with restaurants and shops to remain open till early hours, the BJP wants the city to taste the nuance of night market akin to the flea markets in Goa, where several types of flea markets and local cuisines are arranged for the tourists.
A few days ago Uddhav Thackeray lashed out at the BJP stating that it was the Yuva Sena that initiated the idea of nightlife for Mumbai. “The idea was that those who work in late night shifts should be able to get anything they want at night. It’s the Sena that came up with the concept of night markets,” he had said.
However, BJP’s Mumbai president and MLA Ashish Shelar said that all nightlife for Sena means only pubs, page 3 culture and is elite-centric. However, the BJP’s night market proposal is aimed at helping hawkers and deprived Mumbaikars by creating special hawking patches for night markets.
The BJP has requested the BMC to introduce the concept of night by demarcating special hawking patches for night markets.
With both the partners getting betrothed in war of words, the night life may possibly not see the light of day.
