Aaditya Thackeray slams BJP over Nashik tree-cut plan for Kumbh, sparks ‘Raavan Raj’ jibe

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday fired a fresh salvo at the BJP over the proposed plan to cut trees in Nashik as part of Kumbh Mela 2027 preparations, saying the ruling party wants to bring ‘Raavan Raj’ in the city. Addressing party workers ahead of the January 15 polls to the Nashik Municipal Corporation, he asserted that an alliance of the Shiv Sena (UBT), the MNS, Congress and the NCP (SP) would be finalised by the day’s end. He also outlined his vision for a medical college in Nashik under the civic body, mirroring the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), along with improved transportation services and lower taxes. “If the BJP had Ram in their mind, they would not have chopped the Tapovan. It wants to give that land to builders,” he claimed, arguing that the party’s Hindutva has become political rather than principled.

The controversy around the Tapovan area intensified after the Nashik civic body proposed tree-cutting to create a ‘Sadhu Gram’ colony. The move drew strong protests from locals, green activists and opposition parties. Earlier this month, the National Green Tribunal halted the plan until January 15, adding a legal hurdle to the project and potentially shaping campaigning narratives ahead of the polls.

In the broader electoral frame, Thackeray used the occasion to rally support for a Mahayuti-style contest in Nashik, highlighting development promises while casting the BJP as coercive on land and environmental issues. Polls to 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra, including Nashik, are scheduled for January 15, with vote counting the following day. Nomination filing began on December 23 and will close on December 30, setting the stage for a high-stakes local verdict in the run-up to the state elections.

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