Mumbai's Vidyavihar Bridge Sparks Naming Dispute Between Nana Patekar and Smit Machchhar
· India · Times of India, Hindustan Times
A naming row has erupted over Mumbai's newly constructed East-West Vidyavihar bridge, with Shiv Sena (UBT) demanding it be named after actor Nana Patekar and BJP MLA Parag Shah proposing it be named after Captain Smit Machchhar, the pilot who thwarted a mid-air hijacking. Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders submitted a letter to Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde requesting the bridge be named 'Padma Shri Nana Patekar Setu'. Ganesh Khankar, leader of the house in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, criticised the move, suggesting a theatre would be more fitting for Patekar. The 650-metre-long, two-lane bridge connects Ramchandra Chemburkar Marg and Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, with a 100-metre section over railway tracks and approach roads of 220 metres and 330 metres on either side. The project includes access links to the station's footpaths and reconstruction of ticket offices, the station master's office, and staircases.
Why it matters
The dispute highlights competing efforts to honour public figures through civic infrastructure, affecting local sentiment and municipal decision-making in Mumbai. It also draws attention to the contributions of both Nana Patekar in Indian cinema and Captain Smit Machchhar in aviation safety.
Read the original report — Times of India
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