Mumbai: Fourteen housing societies from Malabar Hill have written to chief minister Eknath Shinde against the “immense inconvenience” caused by political gatherings held at three bungalows used by him. The bungalows include Varsha, the CM‘s official residence, as well as Agradoot and Nandanvan. Locals complain that events at the three bungalows often continue late into the night, disrupting the “peace and tranquility” of the neighborhood.
A local mentioned that the issue has become a significant nuisance to Malabar Hill residents, and their complaints are not being taken seriously.He cited an incident where party supporters were shouting after 10pm, despite two deaths occurring in a society opposite Nandanvan the same day. Another resident pointed out an instance where cars entered a no-entry zone near Malabar Hill Club following a gathering at Nandanvan.
Varsha, a 11,000 sq ft property, is where the CM conducts official meetings, while Agradoot and Nandanvan are utilised for meetings with political workers. During the previous MVA government, former CM Uddhav Thackeray formally moved into Varsha but frequently stayed at Matoshree, his family home in Bandra.
Shinde, known for round-the-clock availability, meets with numerous delegations and groups daily, resulting in a constant stream of visitors at the official bungalows. The Malabar Hill letter, a copy of which is with TOI, mentions disturbance caused to the local population by the excessive use of loudspeakers, sloganeering, singing, and speeches. It also mentions that garbage is often found dumped on the roads following gatherings, further contributing to the “nuisance”.
“Moreover, events/meetings held at Varsha and the Sahyadri Guest House are resulting in traffic (jams). Due to visitors and media persons standing on the footpaths and roads outside these premises, pedestrians have no space left to walk. Pedestrians’ lives and limbs are being jeopardized because of this. Vehicles of visitors to Varsha, Agradoot, Nandanvan, and Sahyadri Guest House are parked haphazardly, and on both sides of roads. These block roads and verbal spats are often seen breaking out between the visitors and traffic police — who are only doing their duty,” said Friends of Malabar Hill, an informal residents’ collective, in the letter. “You will appreciate that Malabar Hill is a residential locality, and there are seniors, the sick and ailing, and children also living there. A peaceful and safe environment is a basic right. The hordes of crowds, massive vehicular activity, noisy gatherings — are not something ever witnessed in our neighbourhood.”