Let Mumbai Be Open All Night For New Year, Aditya Thackeray Suggests

Mumbai nightlife: Aditya Thackeray has for long sought markets to be allowed to remain open 24 hours

Shiv Sena youth wing chief Aditya Thackeray wants to give Mumbai a New Year present. The residents of the country's financial and entertainment hub need "more space and time to unwind after hours of work," he said in a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis as he requested the BJP leader to allow markets, especially in non-residential areas, to remain open all night on New Year.

"What is legal during the day, cannot be illegal at night," said Mr Thackeray, who for five years has been calling for a more relaxed nightlife in Mumbai. His father Uddhav Thackeray heads the Shiv Sena, a cantankerous ally of the BJP Maharashtra.

Aditya Thackeray said not only markets in Mumbai but other cities like Thane, Navi Mumbai and Pune should be allowed to keep their shutters up all night on New Year.

The 28-year-old leader reminded the Fadnavis government of a proposal by the country's richest civic agency BMC in 2013 to let markets in non-residential areas remain open through the night. He said this proposal was cleared by then Mumbai police commissioner and legislated by the state in 2017.

Aditya Thackeray said not only markets in Mumbai but other cities like Thane, Navi Mumbai and Pune should be allowed to keep their shutters up all night on New Year.

"The proposal for Mumbai is awaiting your approval from the Home Dept. for a few months now and is foolproof," Aditya Thackeray said. "I am sure, you will consider both my requests positively."

As far back as 2013, the young Sena leader had sought for Mumbai 24-hour cafes, restaurants and convenience stores for "some chilling time post work."

"Almost every documentary, every book describes Mumbai with this cliche - 'The City that Never Sleeps.' However, unlike any other city that fits this description, we do sleep. We are put to sleep by stone-age laws," he had said in an editorial in 2015.