MNS Workers Detained Amid Thane Rally Chaos; Fadnavis Cites Route Violation
Mumbai: Several members of Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) were detained early Tuesday morning as the party launched a counter-rally in Mira-Bhayander, Thane, escalating tensions already stirred by a recent linguistic row. Authorities detained key leaders, including MNS’s Thane and Palghar chief Avinash Jadhav, before dawn. Sandeep Deshpande, a senior MNS leader, condemned the action, likening it to a clampdown during a national emergency.
The rally aimed to oppose a protest by local traders upset over the assault of a food stall owner who was allegedly slapped for not speaking Marathi. The MNS mobilization disrupted traffic across Thane district, with a heavy police presence and roadblocks deployed to control the situation.
“At 3.30 this morning, our leaders were arrested. The police are showing respect to the protest march of Gujarati traders, but are not giving permission to the march of Marathi people. What kind of emergency-like situation is this? Is this the government of Maharashtra or of Gujarat? No matter what they do, the march will definitely take place,” MNS’s Sandeep Deshpande said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis pushed back against the MNS allegations, stating that the rally did not follow the approved route. “It would be wrong to say that we did not permit the protest. I have spoken to the commissioner, who told me that the police did not refuse permission for the protest. They had asked for permission for a meeting. We asked them to take an alternate route, but they did not agree to it,,” Fadnavis clarified.
The unrest stems from a viral video showing MNS workers assaulting a food stall owner in Bhayander for not conversing in Marathi. The incident triggered widespread condemnation from the local business community. Though seven MNS members were initially detained and questioned, they were released without arrest. Authorities registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, citing charges of rioting, intimidation, and assault.
As tensions escalate, the political and linguistic divide continues to deepen in Maharashtra, reviving debates over identity, language rights, and freedom of expression.
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