Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray claimed that Ganpati mandals will not pay fines for potholes caused by their pandals unless the BJP-led state government first fines those responsible for potholes along the Mumbai-Goa highway.

Addressing Ganpati mandals at Rangsharda Auditorium in Bandra, Uddhav dared the BMC and the ruling Mahayuti government to fine Ganpati mandals for potholes. “Ganpati mandals will not pay a single rupee fine in penalties for any pothole due to setting up mandaps for celebration,” Thackeray said. He was referring to recent orders by the BMC to fine mandals Rs 15,000 per hole if any road is damaged while setting up pandals.

Every year, thousands of people from Mumbai travel to their native place in the Konkan region for the Ganesh festival. However, the journey is time-consuming and risky due to traffic snarls on the pothole-ridden Mumbai-Goa highway.