Congress Opposes Proposal to Change Reservation of Bandra’s Neville D’Souza Football Ground

Mumbai, August 6: The Congress party has strongly opposed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) proposal to change the reservation of the iconic Neville D’Souza Football Ground in Bandra from a designated sports ground to an exhibition and convention centre. The party has demanded that the proposal be withdrawn immediately, alleging that it benefits builder and industrial lobbies at the cost of public sports infrastructure.

A delegation of Congress corporators, led by BMC Congress Group Leader Ashraf Azmi, met BMC Commissioner Ashwini Bhide and submitted a memorandum urging the civic body to retain the ground’s reservation as a sports facility. Mumbai Congress spokesperson and media coordinator Sureshchandra Rajhans was also present.

The Congress stated that the Neville D’Souza Football Ground is a vital sporting asset where nearly 400 youth clubs and 300 senior clubs train annually, benefiting around 8,000 to 10,000 footballers. The party described the ground as a symbol of Mumbai’s football heritage and the dreams of thousands of aspiring players.

Ashraf Azmi alleged that the move was part of a larger attempt to hand over valuable public land to influential private interests. He urged the BMC to scrap the proposal and instead direct MHADA to identify an alternative site for its proposed project, warning that any attempt to reduce Mumbai’s already limited sports infrastructure would face strong opposition from the Congress.