Mira Road, Maharashtra: Tensions ran high in Mira Road on Tuesday as workers of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Shiv Sena (UBT) staged a massive protest march over the Marathi language issue, openly defying prohibitory orders and ignoring preventive arrests. The rally marked the first joint agitation by the two parties since the dramatic reunion of cousins Raj and Uddhav Thackeray.
At least a thousand political workers marched from Balaji Circle to Mira Road railway station between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm. The protest was triggered by outrage over an incident on June 30, where a local shopkeeper, Babulal Chowdhury—owner of Jodhpur Sweets—was allegedly assaulted by MNS workers for not speaking in Marathi.
Despite being denied police permission, protesters gathered at Balaji Circle, where the contentious incident occurred, raising concerns of a possible confrontation. The police had requested a route change to avoid escalation, but organizers remained adamant.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis defended the denial of permission, citing intelligence reports warning of potential unrest. “Maharashtra does not deny democratic rights like holding a morcha, but the rally route chosen was sensitive from a law-and-order perspective,” he said.
Tuesday's morcha also gained significance as it was the first joint political action by MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) after over two decades of rivalry between the Thackeray cousins. While no formal alliance has been declared, their recent show of unity—driven by the Marathi language issue—has injected fresh momentum into the local political landscape ahead of the upcoming municipal elections.
Their collaboration also follows a recent political victory, where the Mahayuti government led by the BJP rolled back a proposal to introduce Hindi as a third language in primary schools after facing fierce opposition from both parties.
On Tuesday morning, activists from MNS, Sena (UBT), and allied groups began gathering in large numbers at Balaji Circle. Supporters arrived from Borivali and Dahisar, significantly swelling the crowd.
Key figures present included former Thane MP Rajan Vichare and Dahisar vibhag pramukh Vinod Ghosalkar from Sena (UBT), alongside senior MNS leaders Sandeep Deshpande and Nitin Sardesai, who opted for local trains to bypass traffic and ensure their presence at the protest site.
The joint rally has further highlighted the growing political coordination between MNS and Sena (UBT), signaling a possible realignment of forces focused on regional identity and linguistic pride, setting the stage for a charged election season in Maharashtra.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)