Hundreds of people marched in Mira-Bhayandar on Tuesday in a rally organised by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and pro-Marathi groups, demanding respect for the Marathi language and identity.
The protest followed recent tensions after a shopkeeper was allegedly assaulted for not speaking Marathi.
The rally, held despite police denying permission, saw participants waving flags, wearing white caps emblazoned with “Me Marathi,” and chanting slogans in support of “Marathi asmita” (pride). Several women and political workers from Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and other groups joined the demonstration.
The protest was organised under the banner of ‘Marathi Ekikaran Samiti’ to counter an earlier traders’ rally against the MNS, following an incident where activists slapped a food vendor for not speaking Marathi.
Police had cited law and order concerns and detained several MNS workers overnight to prevent the protest. Visuals showed women being forcibly taken into vans, while other activists were confined to a banquet hall.
Despite the police action, the rally followed its originally planned route. Tensions escalated when Shiv Sena transport minister Pratap Sarnaik was heckled by protesters, who accused him of earlier speaking against Marathi interests. Sarnaik defended his position, saying he stood by the Marathi people and criticised the police’s actions.
“The police were wrong to stop a peaceful rally. The government gave no such order,” Sarnaik told reporters, adding he would speak to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde about the matter.
“This kind of attitude by the police is unwarranted, and if the Marathi-speaking people had sought permission for a peaceful morcha, the police should have permitted them,” he said.
As high drama unfolded on the streets, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis later said that while rally permissions are granted when safety can be ensured, the MNS was adamant about a route that posed law and order concerns. “If they choose a proper route, we’ll permit it even tomorrow,” he said.
The protest adds to growing political friction ahead of civic polls, especially after recent controversial remarks by BJP leaders and renewed unity between cousins Raj and Uddhav Thackeray over Marathi issues.
Meanwhile, the Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar police released MNS leader Avinash Jadhav and others detained earlier, but maintained that no official permission had been granted for the rally.
The language issue continues to stir strong emotions across Maharashtra, turning into a key flashpoint in the state’s political landscape.