MUMBAI: Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday inaugurated a sports championship organized by the Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO) a month after the Shiv Sena went to battle with the community over meat consumption during Paryushan.

This was seen as an attempt by both sides to bridge the gap created by the recent controversy over the ban on the sale of meat during the Jain fasting period. The civic elections are due in 2017.

Thackeray attended the `JITO Games', a four-day sports championship at the National Sports Club of India (NSCI), Worli. Events related to swimming, tennis, badmin on and chess will be conduc ed and Jain youth who win hese games will be pitted aga nst champions from other JITO chapters from across the country . The best will be given professional coaching and groomed to represent the country in these games.

Rajesh Vardhan, co-convenor of event, said the idea was o put the past behind and to strengthen relations the Jain community shares with the Sena.

“Of late, there was some misunderstanding between the community and the Sena over the meat sale issue but it was sorted out after some community members met party chief Uddhav Thackeray . We wanted to invite them to our function to bridge the gap,“ said Vardhan.

Aaditya tweeted that he was honoured to be at the event and share the stage with good sports talent from the community .

In September, the Jain community , backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), demanded an eight-day ban on the sale of meat in the city during Paryushan, but the Senaled Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) announ ced a four-day ban. The decision did not go down well with party workers, who reportedly sold meat during the ban days.

Even Uddhav had said that they would not allow meat to be banned as it's the primary food of the Marathi-speaking community in Mumbai and it would be an injustice to them.Even the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) had criticized the meat ban.

Political observers said it's a win-win situation for the community and the Sena. “It will help the Jain community to have the Shiv Sena by its side. They cannot afford to have both aggressive parties like the MNS and Sena against them. It is an opportunity for the Sena, to go in for an image makeover before the elections,“ a political commentator said.