Apex court rules against rally at Shivaji Park

Mumbai: The Supreme Court's refusal to grant permission to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray to hold a rally in Shivaji Park is not just a setback for him but for other politicians too.

Thackeray had approached the apex court after the Bombay High Court denied him permission to hold a rally on February 13 in view of the municipal elections on February 16.

It had cited an earlier order that declared Shivaji Park as a silence zone. The angry MNS chief had then threatened to hold his rallies on the road and asked why he couldn't be allowed when Shiv Sena could hold its annual Dussehra (one of the Hindu festivals) rally.

While Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar had lashed out at Thackeray for objecting to the annual Dussehra rally, Pawar's nephew and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar supported Thackeray on Wednesday at a press conference.

Meanwhile, Raj could be allowed to hold his rally in central Mumbai Worli's Jamboree Maidan.