BJP leader wants Mulund hall to start hosting plays
Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) corporator Prakash Gangadhare from Mulund has written to BMC Commissioner Ajoy Mehta on September 14 demanding that the authorities start hosting plays at Mulund’s Kalidas Natyamandir, which was inaugurated on July 18. Gangadhare’s letter to Mehta states, “Though renovation work has been completed and almost two months time has assed after the inauguration, still not a single play has been staged over here.”
The letter further states, “As it is the only theatre available for the suburban people residing at Mulund and other adjoining areas the cultural activities should be started immediately.”
Meanwhile, he also claimed that the two members committee of Deputy Municipal Commissioner (DMC) formed by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner to investigate the irregularities of the Brihanmumbai Krida and Lalitkala Pratisthan (BKLP) trust managed by Shiv Sena secretary and popular marathi actor Adesh Bandekar who handles the functioning of Kalidas Natya Mandir has been completed and details of probe to be provided to him. In addition, the trust should be dissolved immediately and all the functioning should be managed by the BMC henceforth.
Free Press Journal earlier also published an article on August 4 stating that even 15 days passed after inauguration not a single theatre held over due to various irregularities found out by the civic body against the Brihanmumbai Krida and Lalitkala Pratisthan (BKLP) trust which look after the theatre from past many years. Interestingly while interviewing Mehta on August 16 same question was putforth before him. However he denied that theatres activities have been stopped due to any irregularities and remarked that events have already been started, which was a false claim.
This isn’t the first time that the Mahakavi Kalidas Natyamandir art theatre in Mulund has been in news for the wrong reson. In July when the theatre was inaugurated, the BJP councillors had boycotted it. The art theatre was inaugurated by Uddhav Thackrey, Shiv Sena president. However, state Cultural Minister Vinod Tawde, also a BJP leader, had also skipped the programme. Gangadhar had at that time stated that though a letter had been given to Vishwanath Mahadeshwar, mayor of Mumbai, to invite Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, no such invitation had been given.