India, Oct. 14 -- A bird that had divided the city between concerns over public health and religious sentiments, on Saturday became a political symbol. Even as the newly formed Shanti Doot Jankalyan Party, led by Jain muni Nilesh Chandra Vijay, is set to make the pigeon's presence felt in the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election, a 13-member expert committee appointed by the state government after a Bombay High Court (HC) order on August 13, is gathering feedback from those in favour of kabootarkhanas and those opposed to them, to strike a balance on this polarising issue.

Residents of areas close to pigeon feeding spots have often complained of respiratory illnesses. Pulmonologists say cases of lung diseases caused...