The construction of Urdu Bhavan in Mumbai saw the Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spar in the state Assembly on Wednesday.
BJP MLA Mihir Kotecha opposed the grant of land for Urdu Bhavan in Mumbai city, stating that the land was originally given to construct an ITI (Industrial Training Institute), but the reservation was changed during the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) regime led by Uddhav Thackeray.
Alleging the move was to appease the minority, he said: “There is no need for Urdu Bhavan in South Mumbai, as already 12 BMC Urdu schools exist around the area. Urdu Bhavan should be scrapped and an ITI centre should be made which can use PM Modi’s Vishwakarma Yojna for creating more and more skilled workers.”
However, Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Raees Shaikh strongly opposed the stand. “The land was not used by ITI, which is why it was handed over for Urdu Bhavan.”
Interestingly, local Shiv Sena MLA of CM Shinde group, Yamini Jadhav supported SP MLA Shaikh, emphasising that the proposal was passed in the standing committee of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) with the consensus of all parties. Jadhav told the House: “There is already an ITI in my constituency. What we are building is not an Urdu school, but a centre. It is a language like any other in the country and should not be linked to a particular religion. People in my constituency had demanded such a centre, and based on that, I had proposed it.”
Cabinet minister Uday Samant also highlighted the fact that construction of the Urdu Bhavan has been halted after the last order of the Chief Secretary as the matter is pending in the Bombay High Court.
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