Mumbai: A political row has erupted over the future of the Neville D’Souza Football Ground in Bandra West after Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray accused the BJP-led Maharashtra government of facilitating the conversion of the popular football ground into a convention centre. However, the ruling alliance has dismissed the allegations, claiming the issue is being politicised.
In a LinkedIn post on Friday, Thackeray questioned why India continues to lag in international football while playgrounds in Mumbai are allegedly being converted for commercial and non-sporting purposes.
He alleged that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), under the BJP-led state government, had changed the land reservation of the Neville D’Souza Football Ground to permit a convention centre. According to him, the ground has hosted thousands of footballers and numerous tournaments over the past nine years, and its loss would deprive young players of a vital sporting space while worsening traffic congestion in Bandra.
Thackeray further alleged that contractors and builders would benefit from the project, while the Mumbai Football Association would now have to hire alternative grounds for its activities.
BMC House Leader Rejects Allegations
Responding to the allegations, BMC House Leader Ganesh Khankar told TheNews21 that the land in question does not belong to the BMC.
“The property belongs to MHADA, not the BMC. The football association had only been given temporary permission to use the ground after depositing ₹25 lakh as security. As per the rules, the deposit will be refunded,” Khankar said.
He maintained that since the football association had only temporary permission to use the land, there was no requirement to issue a separate communication before taking back possession.
Khankar also questioned the timing of Thackeray’s criticism.
“The Development Plan (DP) 2034, including the reservations and modifications, was approved when the Mayor belonged to Aaditya Thackeray’s own party. Why didn’t he raise objections then?” he asked.
Responding to Thackeray’s argument linking the issue with India’s football performance, Khankar remarked sarcastically that it was “good to know Aaditya Thackeray believes this ground is the reason India is not playing in the FIFA World Cup.”
TheNews21 has not independently verified the planning records relating to the land reservation and will continue to follow the issue.
