Mumbai Simmers as Police Halt MNS Rally in Language Dispute
MUMBAI: Tensions flared in Mumbai on Tuesday as police detained numerous Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists during a protest march organized to champion Marathi pride amid a heated language controversy. The demonstration, led by MNS and supported by pro-Marathi groups under the Marathi Ekikaran Samiti, was a response to an earlier traders’ protest sparked by an assault on a shopkeeper in Mira-Bhayandar, Thane, for not speaking Marathi.
The MNS rally, which proceeded despite lacking police permission, aimed to counter the traders’ agitation. Authorities, citing law and order concerns, had denied the march’s proposed route from Balaji Circle to Mira Road station and imposed Section 144 of the IPC to prevent unlawful gatherings.
Detentions began late Monday night, with police rounding up MNS workers, including Thane-Palghar district chief Avinash Jadhav, as well as members of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Marathi Ekikaran Samiti.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis clarified that the police had not outright banned the protest but had suggested an alternative route, which MNS organizers rejected. “Everyone has the right to protest, but the chosen route posed a serious law and order risk,” Fadnavis told reporters. Despite the restrictions, hundreds of MNS supporters, joined by Shiv Sena (UBT) workers and MP Rajan Vichare, marched in Mira-Bhayandar, escalating tensions.
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The protest saw dramatic moments when Maharashtra Minister Pratap Sarnaik, from the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, arrived to support the rally but faced heckling from demonstrators who accused him of previously opposing Marathi interests. Sarnaik, forced to leave the site, later criticized the police action, stating, “The government gave no order to stop a peaceful rally.” Meanwhile, MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande condemned the early morning detentions, likening them to an “Emergency-like” situation and questioning why traders’ protests were permitted while Marathi marches faced restrictions.
The controversy traces back to recent incidents, including the assault on a food stall owner in Bhayandar for not speaking Marathi and the vandalism of entrepreneur Sushil Kedia’s office in Worli after he admitted on X to not speaking fluent Marathi despite living in Mumbai for three decades. These events fueled the MNS’s campaign to promote Marathi in commercial spaces, intensifying the language row.
Police Commissioner Madhukar Pandey of Mira-Bhayandar Vasai-Virar urged residents to cooperate with law enforcement, confirming that over 150 individuals were detained, with notices issued to some for violating preventive orders and cases registered against those who obstructed police duties. The situation remains volatile as authorities work to restore calm in the region.