Sudhir mungantiwar

Shiv Sena MLA Arjun Khotkar: The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Thursday witnessed heated exchanges as members across party lines demanded better access to passes for the high-stakes India vs England T20 World Cup semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium here.

The debate, laced with patriotic fervour and political wit, even saw calls from some legislators for the state government to reclaim the iconic stadium from the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA).

Senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar opened the discussion by referring to the history of the stadium. He noted that while it is named after Barrister Wankhede -- who presented 11 state budgets -- technical records in the Revenue Department suggest the government has legal grounds to reclaim the land.