Row over Mumbai’s Vidyavihar bridge name
MUMBAI: A naming row has erupted over Mumbai’s newly constructed East-West Vidyavihar bridge ahead of its opening to traffic, with Shiv Sena (UBT) demanding that the structure be named after actor Nana Patekar , while BJP MLA Parag Shah has proposed naming it after Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian commercial pilot hailed for thwarting a mid-air hijacking. The Shiv Sena (UBT) recently put up a banner on the bridge demanding that it be named ‘Padma Shri Nana Patekar Setu’, days after Shah approached the authorities with a request to name it after Captain Machchhar. Machchhar was hailed globally as a hero after thwarting a violent mid-air hijacking of a Tel Aviv-bound flydubai flight.
The much-delayed, 650-metre-long, two-lane East-West Vidyavihar bridge connects Ramchandra Chemburkar Marg on the eastern side of Vidyavihar railway station with Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg on the western side in Ghatkopar. The bridge has a 100-metre section passing over railway tracks, according to the BMC. Its approach roads measure 220 metres on the eastern side and 330 metres on the western side.
The project also includes access links connecting the bridge to the station’s footpaths, along with the reconstruction of ticket booking offices, the station master’s office and staircases, the civic body said. (With PTI inputs) You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Mumbai | Silver Rate in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai | Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Petrol Price in Mumbai | Diesel Price in Mumbai | CNG Price in Mumbai | LPG Price in Mumbai Stay updated with the latest Mumbai news.
I feel that it would be more fitting to name a large theatre or a theatre complex after him rather than a bridge,” Khankar said. Tawde could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts. However, Ganesh Khankar, leader of the house in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), accused Sena (UBT) of stoking a controversy to claim credit for the naming proposal. “Nana Patekar was one of the most talented actors in the country. Download the TOI App.
Earlier this week, a delegation of Sena (UBT) leaders met Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde and submitted a letter demanding that the bridge be named after Patekar.