Shiv Sena wants BMC to enforce Marathi signboards

Mumbai, Aug 28 : Bal Thackeray's Shiv Sena is vying with the Raj Thackeray led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) to get political space on the issue of Marathi signboards.

While the MNS deadline for Mumbai shop owners to change their signboards from English to Marathi ends today, the Shiv Sena has asked Brihanmumbai Municipal Committee (BMC) to enforce Marathi signboards on traders and shopkeepers.

Incidentally, the traders' association has moved the Bombay High Court against Municipal Commissioner Jairaj Phatak's instructions on the issue.

The High Court will hear the application on Thursday.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Committee (BMC) has ruled that the signboards should compulsorily have Devnagiri script, the MNS workers emphasise on the use of Marathi.

The Shops and Establishments Act, 1961, empowers the BMC to levy a fine on the shopkeepers if the signboard does not contain Devnagiri script. But the MNS now wants the shopkeepers to have the Marathi font size equivalent to the English font.

ANI