MNS holds ‘Marathi pride’ rally; Sena Minister gets heckled

Tensions continued in Mira-Bhayandar town of Maharashtra’s Thane district as the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Shiv Sena (UBT) workers held a march on Tuesday in support of Marathi ‘asmita’ (pride). The rally was organised in response to a traders’ rally held on Saturday to protest against a sweet shop owner being slapped by MNS workers for not speaking in Marathi.

Opposition parties held Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the Home Department accountable for fuelling the issue by “denying the democratic right to hold a rally”. However, Mr. Fadnavis rejected the claim that permission wasn’t granted. “The party [MNS] was asked to take a different route,” he said, also adding that permission sought for holding a gathering late Monday night was granted as well.

Opposition leaders Aaditya Thackeray of Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule criticised the government’s handling of the situation. “The Home Department and the Chief Minister are solely responsible for the chaos,” said Ms. Sule.

DCP Gaikwad said the MNS rally intended to pass through the Balaji Hotel area of Mira-Bhayandar where the slapping incident had taken place and hence an alternative route was suggested. The party, however, proceeded with the march from Balaji Hotel in the presence of heavy police security, raising slogans of “M for Marathi, M for Mumbai, M for Mira-Bhayandar, and M for Maharashtra”. It concluded at Mira Road railway station around 2.30 p.m.

Maharashtra Minister Pratap Sarnaik, of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, went to participate in the protest but was heckled as “traitor” and forced to leave the spot.

Meanwhile, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday targeted CM Fadnavis and Mr. Shinde, questioning their “silence” over BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s veiled threat to MNS chief Raj Thackeray and Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray amid the ongoing language row in Maharashtra and attacks on non-Marathi-speaking people. The CM dubbed his party MP’s comments “inappropriate”.