Overview

• Religious leaders announced the Shanti Doot Jan Kalyan Party with a pigeon symbol and an animal-protection agenda focused on reopening kabutarkhanas.
• Organisers set a Diwali deadline for the government to restore feeding sites, warning they will contest the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections if no action is taken.
• The Maharashtra government ordered closures of 51 designated pigeon-feeding spots in July, and the Bombay High Court deemed feeding a public-health hazard and cleared prosecutions for public nuisance.
• Enforcement and backlash have included fines on 142 people for illegal feeding and clashes at the Dadar kabutarkhana where barricades were torn down.
• A Jain leader’s remarks dismissing health risks drew objections, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis declining comment and Shiv Sena (UBT) on Monday condemning the rhetoric while asserting Marathi say over city decisions.