BJP leader Mangal Prabhat Lodha meets Raj Thackeray

Mumbai, Sept 17 (PTI) BJP leader and Maharashtra minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha on Wednesday met MNS president Raj Thackeray at the latter's residence in Dadar.

Details of the meeting can't be known.

The closed-door interaction comes amid a tussle over kabutarkhana (feeding spots for pigeons) in Dadar.

However, an MNS functionary said it is unlikely that Lodha called on Thackeray to discuss the kaburarkhana issue.

On the political front, the MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT), led by cousins Raj and Uddhav Thackeray, are warming up to each other in the run-up to the civic polls. No formal alliance has been declared yet.

The row over feeding pigeons erupted after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation covered the iconic kabutarkhana in Dadar area with tarpaulin sheets last month amid concerns over public health due to bird droppings and feathers.

The move had evoked a sharp response and protest from the Jain community.

Lodha, the guardian minister for the Mumbai suburban district, had written to the BMC requesting an amicable solution, considering the feelings of seers and animal lovers while respecting the high court's directives.

The MNS, Shiv Sena (UBT), and several lawmakers from the ruling BJP had backed the civic body’s action against the kabutarkhana enclosure. PTI PR NSK